We have heard a lot about miscarriage over the past week since Meghan Markle told us all her sad news. We send our sympathy and share their sadness.

Miscarriage is very common. No one knows exactly how common, as some women experience miscarriage before they even know they are pregnant but roughly 1 in 4 pregnancies are thought to end in miscarriage. It’s not just women who suffer from a miscarriage. Men also suffer this loss, but very often they bury their emotions and don’t show how they truly feel. What has saddened me this past week is the surge in press coverage around miscarriage which shows very few perspectives of the men who have also been affected. The real stories that we see at Examen, together with years of our own clinical research, tell us that without a doubt, a man’s health and well-being is vital to couples getting pregnant and having a baby.

We know society used to expect men to be brave and hide their feelings to support their partners, and sadly this expectation has been the case for far too long. But things are changing. Men (including celebrities) have started to show their feelings and reveal their personal struggles with all types of health issues, and this has received huge support.

The team at Examen strive to help couples understand the causes of their fertility problems, so that they find the most suitable route to achieving their miracle and starting their family. We built our labs to understand the very essence of sperm health and we are doing everything we can to help men become dads. To all of the men we’ve helped and for those experiencing fertility issues please keep talking and sharing your views, feelings and knowledge. Don’t bury your sadness and keep thoughts to yourself. By being open, you’re helping yourself as well as others going through exactly the same thing. We need more people like you to help society realise that men matter too.

This year, Tommy’s Christmas appeal is aiming to raise money to help dads and partners in pregnancy and loss. You can donate here to help create a hub of supportive resources for partners during pregnancy.