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Major causes of male infertility:
Sperm production
Absent sperm
Blockages
Sexual difficulties
Age
Male infertility factors
If you see around you’ll notice everyone is conceiving so easily whereas you might have a very opposite experience regarding this, however don’t stress because you are not alone as nearly 15 couples out of 100 need infertility treatment and the good news is 90% of them are treated.
In medical terms infertility is defined as a couple being unable to conceive after 12 months of regular unprotected sex, or if you can’t carry the pregnancy to term.
Male factor infertility is the most common reason for infertility after the female age factor.
Major causes of male infertility are:
- Lack of Sperm production
- Absent sperm
- Blockages
- Sexual difficulties
- Age
Sperm production
Lack of enough sperm, sperm with low motility, low morphology (formation) and sperms with antibodies are the most common cause of male infertility.
Absent sperm (azoospermia)
Azoospermia is a condition when there is total absence of sperm in ejaculate. Common causes for this condition are genetic abnormalities, lack of sperm production or after a vasectomy.
Blocked vas deferens or other tubes
Blockages can be present from birth (congenital), as a result of surgery (like a vasectomy) or due to severe trauma or infections. Some cases can be fixed or reversed, or sperm can be retrieved and used in IVF treatment.
Sexual difficulties
Some men experience difficulties having regular ejaculatory sex. Men with diabetes, spinal cord injuries, who take certain medication or with psychosexual problems may have trouble ejaculating during penetrative sex. IVF is an effective option.
Age
Although it doesn’t affect fertility to the same extent as female age, sperm quality does decrease with age. The risk of miscarriage in women is higher if the male is over 45. Older males also have a greater chance of conceiving children with autism, mental health problems and learning difficulties.
Male infertility is often diagnosed by a semen analysis test,a physical examination or testicular biopsy by your fertility specialist.
If you are concerned about any issue related to male fertility, contact our IVF specialist for a confidential couple discussion session.
We at HOPE IVF have special interest in male infertility, and a well tested program where male infertility is easily diagnosed and treated with fertility treatment, such as IVF with Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or other advanced treatments like Physiologically selected Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (PICSI), Elective sperm cryo preservation (ESCP) and MICROTESE.