Male Infertility

As much as 15% of couples are not able to conceive a child even after frequent unprotected sexual intercourse. From this 15%, about one-third of the couples’ experience can’t give birth due to male infertility. 

There are several reasons for male infertility such as low sperm production, abnormal sperm function, or blockages that prevent the delivery of sperm. Other factors such as illnesses, chronic health diseases, lifestyle choices, etc can also lead to male infertility. 

As the inability to conceive can be frustrating for most couples, several treatment options can help with male infertility.  

Symptoms of Male Infertility

The most obvious sign for male infertility is the inability to conceive a child. However, sometimes there may be an underlying problem such as a hormonal imbalance, inherited disorder, blockage in the passage of sperm, or dilated veins around the testicle. Some of the symptoms that can be associated with male infertility are: 

• Pain or swelling in the testicle area
• Lump in the testicle area
• Sexual function problems like difficulty with ejaculation, reduced sexual desire, a small volume of ejaculated fluid
• Recurring respiratory infections
• Gynecomastia- abnormal breast growth
• Inability to smell
• Lower sperm count
• Signs of chromosomal or hormonal abnormality such as decreased facial and body hair

Causes of Male Infertility

There may be either slight to moderate indications or no signs of infertility in men. Some common causes of male infertility are: 

• Erectile dysfunction
• Physical trauma to the testes
• Ejaculation problems
• Varicocele: swelling in the veins that drain the testicle 
• Azoospermia: blockage of the ducts in the testicles resulting in no sperm
• Obesity
• Age-related infertility
• Hormonal Imbalances
• Genetic Abnormalities
• Obesity 
• Poor Nutrition
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Smoking
• Using recreational drugs 
• Poor Nutrition
• Undescended Testicles 

Treatments for Male Infertility 

There are several treatment options for male infertility such as: 

• IUI: This procedure involves placing the sperm inside a woman’s uterus during ovulation to facility fertilization
• IVF: In this procedure, a woman’s egg and a man’s sperm are combined in a lab dish. The embryos are then placed in the woman’s womb after 3-5 days after egg retrieval and fertilization
• ICSI: A healthy single sperm is injected into the egg to facilitate fertilization during IVF
• Varicocele Surgery: As varicocele is the swelling in the veins that drain the testicle. This surgical procedure redirects the blood flow towards normal veins. Surgery is done on an outpatient basis. 
• PESA: This is a simple technique done to obtain sperm for ICSI. This procedure analyses the sperm content and motility 
• MESA: This is a microsurgical technique to remove a small sample of epididymal tissue to extract sperm from the tissue
• TESE: This is also known as a testicular biopsy. This involves making a small surgical incision in the testis to remove small samples of testis tissue for processing and extraction of sperm.