What is Male Infertility?
Male Infertility (subfertility) is the condition wherein a male can’t achieve a pregnancy in a fertile lady. The male partner is in charge of infertility in about 40% of couples. The primary factors causing male infertility are
- Low quality of the semen
- Ejaculatory dysfunction
Reproduction is a natural process for most couples. However, for a few couples, it is very difficult to conceive.
A man’s fertility depends on the quantity and quality of the sperm. In the case of a man having a low sperm count or low quality of sperm, it is hard for him to conceive positively. In the case of infertility, male infertility accounts for almost 40-50 % of infertility. It affects around 7% of all men.
What are the causes of male infertility?
Sperm Disorders
The most common problems are with producing and developing sperm. Sperm may:
- Not develop completely
- Be strangely shaped
- Not move the correct way
- Be made in extremely low numbers (oligospermia)
- Not be made at all (azoospermia)
Sperm problems can be from attributes you’re born with. Lifestyle decisions can also lower sperm numbers. Smoking, drinking alcohol, and consuming drugs can further lower sperm numbers. Other causes of low sperm numbers include long-term sickness (such as kidney failure), childhood infections (such as mumps), and chromosome or hormone problems (like low testosterone).
Damage to the reproductive system can cause low or no sperm. About 4 out of every 10 men with a total lack of sperm (azoospermia) have an obstruction (blockage). A birth defect or a problem such as an infection can cause a blockage.
Varicoceles
Retrograde Ejaculation
Immunologic Infertility
Obstruction
Chromosomes
How is Male Infertility treated?
Treating Infection
Antibiotic treatment may cure an infection of the reproductive tract, but doesn’t always restore fertility.
Treatment For Sexual Intercourse Problems
Medication or counselling can help improve fertility in conditions such as erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation.
Hormone Treatment And Medication
The doctor may recommend hormone replacement or medication in cases where infertility is caused by high or low levels of certain hormones or problems with the way the body uses hormones.
Varicocele Surgery
In a few cases, no sperms are present in the ejaculation and hence, in such conditions, sperms are retrieved directly from the testicles.
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)
ART treatments involve obtaining sperm through normal ejaculation, surgical extraction or from donor individuals, depending on your specific case and wishes. The sperm is then inserted into the female genital tract or used to perform in vitro fertilization or intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection.