What is Male Infertility?
Male Infertility means that a person is not able to start a pregnancy with his female partner. If after having one year of unprotected intercourse a person is unable to achieve pregnancy with his life partner, it is called male infertility. According to a study conducted at the Indian Council of Medical Research, Male Infertility in India is around 10-15%. This means that out of 100 couples trying to conceive 10-15 couples are such who are having difficulty conceiving because of this issue.
What Are the Causes of Male Infertility?
Several factors are responsible for the male infertility. A few of the factors responsible for male infertility are abnormal sperm production, blockage in the release of sperm, or low sperm production. Other possible male infertility causes are as follows:
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Infections:
Genital Infections like chlamydia and gonorrhea could be responsible for infertility in men. In this case, male infertility can often be resolved by treating the infection. - Obstruction, defects from birth, and physical damage:
In a few cases, since birth men have had obstructions within some parts of the testicles which stop sperm from getting into the semen. It may happen that due to accidental mishappening to the testicles, prostate, and urethra may also cause male infertility. - Retrograde Ejaculation:
This is a disorder in which the semen is unable to come out of the penis instead it enters the bladder. Causes of the occurrence of this order are diabetes, certain types of medication, and surgery to the bladder, prostate, and urethra. - Genetical Transformation:
Found in very rare cases, genetic illnesses like cystic fibrosis, or chromosomal disorders may also cause male infertility. - Autoimmune Disorder:
In very few cases, the immune system of the body may target and destroy mistakenly sperm cells and understand that these are some foreign viruses. As a result, the sperm are destroyed. - Hormonal Issues:
In some cases, hormonal imbalances in the pituitary and thyroid glands, for instance, may also cause male infertility. Your doctor may suggest treatment with medication for the treatment of hormonal problems. - Sexual Problems:
Erectile Dysfunction or Impotence with Premature Ejaculation are obviously having an adverse effect on male fertility. Anxiety, low self-esteem, or guilt are some of such mental conditions which are responsible for Erectile Dysfunction. Various physical body conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and cardiological diseases may also cause this problem. Additionally, impotence could also be the side effect of certain types of medications. Consult your doctor to discuss treating sexual issues. - Varicocele:
The meaning of varicocele is enlarged varicose veins developed within the scrotum thus increasing the temperature of the testicle & consequently worsening the quality of semen. Within 15% of men, Varicocele is discovered and up to 40% of men are evaluated for infertility.
What Other Factors May be Responsible for Male infertility?
- Taking Stress
- Obesity
- Consuming Drugs. Using drugs like marijuana and cocaine, or taking steroids, drinking alcohol, and smoking may also result in male infertility.
- Getting exposed to toxins like pesticides, lead, radiation, radioactive substances, mercury, and heavy metals may also affect fertility in men.
What Treatment is Available for Male infertility?
Medication:
The right medication can treat some issues which are responsible for male infertility, including hormonal imbalances, and erectile dysfunction.
Surgery:
Surgeries have proven effective in repairing the anatomic abnormalities or damage to the reproductive organs thus restoring male fertility. Surgery to fix the blockages within the tubes that carry sperm has also proven effective in treating male infertility. It could also be used to repair varicocele. Some causes of male infertility are structural and are easily treatable by surgery, frequent with outpatient or same-day procedures. For men, it includes tissue biopsies, vasectomy reversal, opening the sperm ducts, or extracting sperm directly from the ducts or testicles.
Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART):
This technique is done by taking the help of a gynecologist or reproductive endocrinologist. This procedure involves both the man’s sperm and a woman’s egg. First, the eggs from a woman’s body are extracted and then fused with a man’s sperm to generate embryos. This embryo is transferred back into the body of a woman. The most commonly used assisted reproductive technique which is the most effective one is the In Vitro Fertilization or IVF is also based on the same principle. These techniques include vitro fertilization which may be effective in case other treatments do not work.
