Male infertility is the cause of almost half of all infertility cases, with various reasons such as hormonal disorders, infections, and trauma. A fertility specialist will check for male infertility through a physical exam and semen analysis, and treatments include drug therapy, surgery, and assisted reproduction. Couples struggling to conceive should seek medical advice after a year of trying, or after six months if over 30 years old. Early diagnosis improves chances of successful conception.
About 10% of all couples will face infertility issues while trying to conceive, with male infertility being the cause of nearly half of these cases. A couple is considered infertile after trying unsuccessfully for a year or more to become pregnant. A diagnosis of male infertility can be devastating, but there are several treatments and options available to couples to help them conceive.
There are dozens of reasons a man may experience infertility. Hormonal disorders, a sexually transmitted disease (STD), infections and trauma to the reproductive organs are among the most common causes of male infertility. Sexual dysfunction, an obstruction, medications, testicular cancer, or other medical conditions, such as sickle cell disease, can also lead to fertility problems.
When a couple is facing infertility issues, a fertility specialist will first check for male infertility. Male infertility is easier to test and diagnose; infertility in women is usually more complicated. The first thing the doctor will do is ask the patient about their medical and sexual history, and then the doctor will perform a physical exam. If everything is normal, the doctor will then schedule the male for semen analysis, which will check the man’s sperm for different properties. The most obvious thing to check is the number of normal sperm in motion, indicated as concentration, morphology and motility. Certain medical conditions can cause a man to produce bumpy or misshapen sperm that are unable to fertilize an egg.
Semen analysis will also check the concentration of the semen. If the sperm is physically normal, infertility may be caused by the man’s semen being too thick or thin, preventing the sperm from reaching the egg. The volume of the ejaculate will also be measured. Another medical test for male infertility requires doctors to use a hamster egg to test whether sperm is able to penetrate the walls of a female’s egg.
Male infertility is usually treated in one of three ways. The first way is through drug therapy. There are many medications that can increase sperm count and fight infections that can compromise sperm health. Some conditions, such as blockages, can be resolved with surgery.
The last way is through assisted reproduction. Semen can be collected from humans using one of several techniques. The sperm can then be treated, through a wash or centrifuge, to reduce the number of abnormal sperm. Subsequently, the sperm will be combined with an egg by in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). IVF involves combining healthy sperm and different eggs together in a petri dish and letting the sperm naturally fertilize the egg. In ICSI, sperm is inserted into the egg with a needle. This method is usually used when a man’s sperm is immobile and unable to fertilize an egg on its own.
There are many treatment options available for men suffering from infertility. Couples who have been actively trying to conceive for over a year should make an appointment with their doctor to discuss the possibility of a fertility issue. Couples over the age of 30 should see their doctor after six months of unsuccessful attempts, because most women begin to lose their chances of getting pregnant in their mid to late thirties. An early diagnosis gives the couple a better chance of starting a family before the woman begins menopause.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
