Male partners with low sperm counts and/or low sperm motility and/or abnormally shapedsperm and/or who have antibodies against their own sperm, are classified as "malefactor" patients.
Male infertility is very common.About one in 15 men is sub fertile and a male factor is present in half of all in fertile couples.About one third of all IVF procedures areper formed for male factor infertility. For most men the discovery that they are infertile comes as a total surprise.
It must be remembered that the testis has two distinct roles. The first is to produce the male sex hormone, testosterone, which is important for providing sexdrive, erections, strong muscles and basically giving a man a general feeling of wellbeing. The second function of the testis is to produce millions of sperm every day, a process which occurs inside the approximately 150 metres of fine tubes in each testis. For most infertile men it is only this process which is at fault and a reduced number or poor quality of sperm are produced
Causes of Male Infertility :
There are many reasons for male infertility which include:
| Hormonal Disorders | Infections |
|---|---|
| Those that affect the pituitary gland and / or hypothalamus resulting in defective secretion of gonadotropin hormones (those that are responsible for the normal growth and functioning of your reproductive organs) | Commonly tubercular or gonococcal infections that cause a blockage in the “finetubes” transporting the semen |
| Genetic & Familial Disorders : Inherited disorders that can result in abnormal development of male reproductive organs and therefore defective sperms. Some of the genetic syndromes causing infertility are Klinefelter’s syndrome, Kallmann’ ssyndrome, or cystic fibrosis. |
Conditions of Abnormal or Low Sperm Counts namely Oligospermia and Azospermia |
| Injury or surgical trauma to the test is or other reproductive organs |
Lifestyle issues: Alcohol and drugs, Tobacco smoking, Emotional stress Environmental Issues : (exposuretotoxins, heavymetals, excessiveheat, etc.) |
| Varicocele: They are swollen veins of the scrotum that causes infertility. This results due to the blockage o fblood flow to the scrotum, leading to difficulty in temperature regulation. The warm temperature does not favor the production of sperms resulting in low sperm count |
Certain Prescription Medicines and Iatrogenic causes like radiation exposure and cytotoxic drugs. |
| Undescended Testes | Medical conditions |
| Sexual Issues (erectile dysfunction) | Idiopathic (cause not known) |
| Retrograde Ejaculation |
Male Infertility Symptoms
You may experience one or more of the following symptoms:
| • | Reduced sexual desire |
| • | Difficulty in maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction) |
| • | Pain or swelling in the testicle area |
| • | Difficulty in ejaculation |
| • | Decreased facial and body hair, and abnormal breast growth or hormonal abnormality |
Male Infertility Diagnosis
The diagnosis of male infertility can be a complicated process. Getting yourself evaluatedfrom a Specialized Male In-Fertility Expert by Dr Nitin Lad , can help you with betterdiagnosis. The method of diagnosis starts with history and physical examination.
| • | History and Physical examination |
| • | Semen analysis |
| • | Testicular biopsy |
| • | Hormone evaluation |
| • | Color Doppler of the scrotum |
| • | vasography |
| • | Genetic Tests |
| • | Testicular Biopsy |
| • | Anti-sperm Antibody Tests |
| • | Color Doppler of the scrotum |
| • | Color Doppler of the scrotum |
| • | Specialised sperm Function Tests |
| • | Sperm DNA fragmentation Test |
