Did you know that almost ten to fifteen percent of the couples in India are infertile? The common assumption in a more primitive time would be that the woman is probably barren and incapable of birthing offspring. However, modern couples are accepting and aware that infertility could be due to the man, as much as it can be because of the woman. However, we now know that 30-40% of infertility is attributed to male infertility, 35-45% to female infertility and there is still 10-15% which is unexplained infertility.
When you talk about male infertility, there could be several questions in one’s mind:
What Is Male Infertility?
What Are The Signs Of Infertility In Men?
How Do You Diagnose Male Infertility?
What Causes Infertility In Men?
Can Male Infertility Be Treated?
What Is The Recommended Treatment For Male Infertility?
And so on.
In this article, you will get your answers to all of the above questions.
What Is Male Infertility?
As is commonly known, fertilization and reproduction are the most primitive functions of any mammal, including humans. It is supposed to come naturally for everybody. However, due to changes in the living patterns and the lifestyle choices people make nowadays, conceiving a child may not happen naturally for them.
Reproduction and conceiving depend on the wellbeing of both male and female partners. Talking about the role of the male partner in reproduction, the fertility of the couple depends on the quality, structure, and mobility of the sperm. A good quality sperm should swim fast and well enough to reach the fallopian tubes and fertilize the egg.
Male infertility refers to a condition where a couple with a perfectly healthy and fertile female partner cannot conceive because of the male partner. If you have been trying for a baby for more than twelve months with regular intercourse, you should visit your gynecologist and fertility specialist to help identify the problem. Your fertility specialist will evaluate both male and female partners and identify the cause of infertility.
What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Male Infertility?
In most cases, there are no evident signs of infertility in men apart from the fact that the couple cannot conceive. The male partner may be experiencing completely normal sexual intercourse, erection, and ejaculation and still be infertile.
Let’s have a look at some other signs of concern:
- Erectile dysfunction or the difficulty to hold an erection.
- Swelling, inflammation, or a lump around the testes.
- Abnormal growth of breasts.
- Reduction in the amount of body hair on the face and other parts of the body.
- Abnormal sperm parameters
Diagnosis Of Male Infertility
There are no evident signs and symptoms of male infertility in most cases. Therefore, consulting a doctor is often necessary to identify the problem.
Diagnosing male infertility can be done through two types of methods:
General & Physical Examination
The doctor will do a thorough check-up of your genitals to look for any inflammations, injury, or lumps. An examination of your medical records helps reveal any family history of known illnesses like inherited chromosomal defects, genetic disorders, surgeries in the genitals, etc. Your doctor will also ask you questions about your lifestyle, sexual activity, etc.
Semen Analysis
The doctor will ask you to give a sample of your semen for analysis under a microscope. The semen collection can happen either through a normal ejaculation into a container or a cup or by using specialized condoms during intercourse. Semen analysis helps in understanding the count, quality, structure, and mobility of the sperms.
Semen analysis also helps determine the presence of any infections in the genitals. Usually, semen samples differ vastly from each other. Therefore, the doctor may collect several semen samples from you to arrive at any conclusive results.
Apart from the above two methods, there might be some additional tests that the doctor recommends. These include:
Hormone examination to check for any abnormalities in the hormone-producing glands and the testosterone levels in the body. Abnormalities in the pituitary gland and testicles can be a significant contributing factor towards male infertility.
Testicular biopsy, to check the sperm quality by removing sperm samples directly from the testes. If the sperms retrieved through this method are normal, then the infertility is possibly due to an issue or blockage during the transportation of the sperm.
Post-ejaculation urinalysis to check for the presence of sperms in your urine. If the test results come positive, it means that your sperms are traveling in the wrong direction, back into the bladder and not the penis.
Genetic Test, to check for any chromosomal defects or any genetic reasons for the sperm count and concentration being low.
Sperm function test, to check how mobile the sperm is and how capable it is to penetrate through an egg. These are specialized tests, used rarely, and do not impact the recommendations for infertility treatment in any manner.
What Causes Infertility In Men?
There could be several natural, environmental, or even lifestyle-related factors that can cause infertility in men. These are:
- Increased exposure to heat like truck drivers, firefighters, etc., or wearing tight clothes excessively.
- Indulging in high amounts of drugs like antibiotics, alcohol, prescribed drugs, and recreational drugs like marijuana.
- Exposure to toxic substances like lead, mercury, pesticides, etc.
- Excessive smoking of cigarettes.
- High-stress levels.
- Deficiencies in the body like zinc, folic acid, vitamin C, etc.
- Excess body weight.
- Body disorders like malnutrition, diabetes, neurological issues, cancer, etc.
- Problems in the genitals like cancers, inflammation, infection, or injury.
Apart from the above, there could be genetic or inherited issues that may cause infertility as well.
Treatment Options For Male Infertility
Male infertility treatment options include:
- Surgery
- Medication
- Assisted Reproductive Treatments
Surgery is an option when there is a blockage in sperm transport or when the sperms need to be retrieved directly from the testes. This is commonly also known as PESA and TESA.
Medication may help in treating infections or problems related to sexual intercourse like premature ejaculation or erectile dysfunction. Counselling also plays a significant role in helping overcome such issues.
Assisted Reproductive Treatments involve extracting the sperms through ejaculation or directly from the testes or opting for donor sperms. Healthy sperms are then identified and either injected into the female’s uterus for intrauterine insemination (IUI) or fused with the female’s egg in a laboratory to create embryos for in vitro fertilization (IVF).
For infertility problems, you must consult a fertility specialist after carefully researching and selecting the center. Archish IVF is one of the most promising IVF centers in Bangalore that caters to fertility-related counseling and services. With the help of advanced equipment and a dedicated team of professionals, you are sure to get the best service and help compared to any other IVF center in Bangalore.
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ReplyDeletelow sperm count, poor sperm quality , Varicocele or Varicocele imbalance there could be any of reason for male infertility. but male infertility is a treatable condition.
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