What is Male Infertility?
Male infertility means that the man is not able to conceive a child. Male infertility can be the result of low sperm motility, low sperm production, or blockages that prevent the delivery of sperm. After trying to conceive a child for a year or longer with no success, a male should get checked for fertility issues. There are many treatments available for male infertility. Urology Clinics of North Texas has board-certified urologists who are expertly trained in male fertility and will take the least invasive approach to your care.
Causes of Male Infertility
To conceive a child, the male must produce healthy sperm, have sperm carried into the semen and the sperm must be plentiful and functional. Testosterone and other hormones trigger sperm production. Once sperm is produced in the testicles, it must be transported to mix with semen and be released during ejaculation.
Male infertility can be caused by many health issues, including:
- Varicocele is the swelling of the veins that drain the testicle. This can cause low sperm production and decreased sperm quality. Varicocele is the most common cause of male infertility and can be treated with surgery.
- Infections including inflammation of the testicles, gonorrhea, or HIV. Some infections can result in permanent damage, but often sperm can still be retrieved.
- Sperm DNA damage, which can be caused by infections, tobacco use, varicoceles, drugs and chemotherapy, and hormonal factors.
- Ejaculation issues may cause infertility in men when semen enters in the bladder instead of the emerging out of the penis. Retrograde ejaculation can be caused by diabetes, spinal injuries, pelvic area surgery, or medications.
- Sexual function can also contribute to male infertility, such as erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation.
- Environmental elements such as exposure to heat, chemicals, and toxins.
- Lifestyle factors such as drug use, alcohol use, tobacco use, excessive pornography use, stress, and obesity.
Diagnosis of Male Infertility
In most cases, the man and woman will both need to see doctors about their trouble conceiving to check for all possible causes. Male infertility is diagnosed by taking a medical history, doing a general physical examination, and doing a semen analysis. A lab test of your semen will measure the number of sperm present and their motility. Sperm counts may fluctuate, so several tests may be done to ensure accurate results. If the lab tests are normal, the doctor may recommend your female partner get tested.
Additional testing for male infertility can include an ultrasound of the scrotum, hormone testing, urine analysis, genetic tests, biopsy of testicles or ultrasound of prostate to check for blockages.
Treatment of Male Infertility
VIDEO: Dan French, MD discusses Microsurgical Testicular Sperm Extraction (microTESE)
Surgery
If an obstruction is preventing sperm from being ejaculated, surgery to repair may be an option. Some men are born with an obstruction in their vas deferens or have a varicocele.
Medication and hormone treatments
Antibiotics may be used to treat any infections in the semen. Hormone replacement may be prescribed when infertility is due to low levels of hormones.
Treating sexual conditions
Medication for erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation may improve fertility.
Testicular sperm extraction
Testicular sperm extraction is a surgical procedure to remove sperm from the testes when sperm counts or low or non-existent.
Assisted reproductive technology (ART)
ART includes in vitro fertilization, where the extracted sperm is combined with extracted eggs to form embryos and implanted into the woman’s uterus
About 15% of couples are considered infertile. A third of those couples are infertile due to male infertility.
Risk factors for male infertility include drug use, alcohol use, tobacco use, and obesity. Other risk factors include the use of antidepressants, the use of excessive pornography, spinal cord injuries, and those who are born with an obstruction in their reproductive veins.
Urologists are considered specialists for treating male infertility. At Urology Clinics of North Texas, we have many expertly trained urologists skilled in treating male infertility.
Various factors can contribute to infertility. Depending on what the cause may be, your doctor can determine the best course of treatment. Your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes if you have risk factors that could be contributing to infertility. Surgery, medication, and testicular sperm extraction are some other methods of treating male infertility.
