The well-man visit: addressing a man's health to optimize pregnancy outcomes

Abstract

Male health and health care before conception has received little attention by many physicians. Only recently has the importance of the health of men before conception been explored. The benefits of preconception care are important, including ensuring that all pregnancies are planned and wanted, improving the man's genetic and biologic contributions to the pregnancy, improving reproductive health and outcomes for female partners, improving the man's capacity for and understanding of parenthood, and enhancing the man's overall health through access to primary care.