Tammy Hembrow delighted fans on Sunday when she announced that her Love Island Australia star boyfriend Matt Zukowski had proposed after just three months of dating.
But Tammy's big news comes with a heartbreaking caveat: Matt won't be able to give her children.
28-year-old Matt suffers from infertility, a disease he only discovered a few years ago.
In October, he joined the Back to Reality podcast to talk about the heartache of finding out his body wasn't producing sperm.
The reality star told hosts Taku and Selina that he was “not embarrassed” by the reproductive issue, but admitted it had an impact on his approach to dating.
But Tammy Hembrow and Love Island Australia star Matt Zukowski's engagement news comes with a heartbreaking caveat: Matt won't be able to give his future wife any children
“If I were to start dating a girl… that's one of the first things I tell them.” Before I told her on about the second date, my ex said, “Hey, just so you know, I can't Have children.”'
“I'm not embarrassed. I'm not ashamed of it…it's obviously becoming public knowledge now that I, you know, shoot blanks and stuff like that,” he added.
The hosts then asked Matt how he found out about the fertility issue, and he claimed an ex spurred him to get checked because they “couldn't get pregnant.”
28-year-old Matt suffers from infertility, a disease he only discovered a few years ago
THE CAUSES OF MALE INFERTILITY
The most common cause of infertility in men is low-quality sperm, the sperm fluid that comes out during sex.
Possible reasons for abnormal sperm include:
- a lack of sperm – you may have a very low or no sperm count
- Sperm not moving properly – this makes it harder for sperm to swim to the egg
- Abnormal sperm – Sperm can sometimes have an abnormal shape, making it difficult for them to move and fertilize an egg
Many cases of abnormal sperm remain unexplained.
There is a link between increased scrotal temperature and reduced semen quality, but it is uncertain whether wearing loose-fitting underwear improves fertility.
testicles
The testes produce and store sperm. If they are damaged, it can seriously affect the quality of your seed.
This can have the following causes:
- an infection of your testicles
- Testicular cancer
- Testicle surgery
- a problem with your testicles that you were born with (a congenital defect)
- if one or both testicles have not descended into the scrotum, the loose sac of skin that contains your testicles (undescended testicles).
- Injury to your testicles
sterilization
Some men choose to have a vasectomy if they do not want any children or no more children.
This involves cutting and closing the vas deferens that carry sperm from your testicles (the vas deferens) so that your semen no longer contains any sperm.
A vasectomy can be reversed, but reversal is usually not successful.
Hypogonadism
Hypogonadism is abnormally low levels of testosterone, the male sex hormone involved in sperm formation.
The cause could be a tumor, taking illegal drugs or Klinefelter syndrome, a rare syndrome in which a man is born with an extra female chromosome.
Medicines and medicines
Certain types of medicines can sometimes cause infertility problems.
These medicines are listed below:
- Sulfasalazine – an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat conditions such as Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis; Sulfasalazine can reduce sperm count, but its effect is temporary and your sperm count should return to normal when you stop taking it
- Anabolic steroids – often used illegally to build muscle and improve athletic performance; Long-term abuse of anabolic steroids can reduce sperm count and sperm motility
- Chemotherapy – Drugs used in chemotherapy can sometimes severely reduce sperm production
- Herbal remedies – Some herbal remedies, such as root extracts of the Chinese herb Tripterygium wilfordii, may affect sperm production or reduce the size of your testicles
- Illegal drugs such as marijuana and cocaine can also affect semen quality.
Source: NHS
Matt then went into detail about the testing process.
“I went and liked that cum, you know, I don't know how to put it nicely?” Yes. “Put it in a cart and get it tested,” he said.
'[The doctor] I called because it's kind of like our lockdown phase. And he said, “Hey, Matt, just let you know, you don't have any sperm.” And I thought, 'Oh, so I'm low on sperm.' He said, “No, you don't have any sperm.” And I was like, “Oh, shit.”
The reality star told hosts Taku and Selina that he was “not embarrassed” by the reproductive issue, but admitted it had an impact on his approach to dating
It is not known whether 29-year-old Tammy wants to have children as she is already a mother of three.
She shares her two eldest children – son Wolf, eight, and daughter Saskia, six – with ex-fiancé Reece Hawkins and also shares one-year-old daughter Posy with her second ex-fiancé Matt Poole.
Tammy made headlines on Sunday when she posted a video on Instagram capturing the heartwarming moment Matt proposed to her while on vacation in the Maldives.
Tammy made headlines on Sunday when she posted a video on Instagram capturing the heartwarming moment Matt proposed to her while on vacation in the Maldives
The footage shows the precious moment Matt got down on one knee on the beach and pulled out an engagement ring for Tammy
The footage shows the precious moment Matt got down on one knee on the beach and pulled out an engagement ring for Tammy.
The clip was filmed from a distance and shows the lovebirds standing in a decorative love heart display on the sandy shore.
Tammy raises her hands to her face in shock and disbelief before she excitedly jumps into Matt's arms and happily accepts his proposal.
Tammy has been engaged twice – the first time was to fellow influencer Reece Hawkins (pictured), father of her two eldest children, son Wolf, eight, and daughter Saskia, six
Tammy captioned the footage with some heartfelt words: “Never in my life have I felt so safe, so loved, so understood, so cared for. 'What a turnaround you were.'
Tammy has been engaged twice. Her first time was with fellow influencer Reece Hawkins.
In November 2021, the fitness guru got engaged to restaurateur and former Ironman Matt Poole. The couple separated in December 2022.
In November 2021, the fitness guru got engaged to restaurateur and former Ironman Matt Poole. (Pictured during their romantic engagement)