Male infertility means not being able to father children. Infertility is the inability of a sexually active, non-contracepting couple to achieve spontaneous pregnancy in one year. If the cause of the fertility problem is found in the man, this is male infertility. In over a third of infertility cases, the problem is with the man. This is most often due to problems with his sperm production or with sperm delivery.
The man’s body makes tiny cells called sperm. During sex, ejaculation normally delivers the sperm into the woman’s body.
The male reproductive system makes, stores, and transports sperm. Chemicals in man’s body called hormones control this. Sperm and male sex hormone (testosterone) are made in the 2 testicles, located in scrotum, the sac of skin below the penis. When the sperm leave the testicles, they go into a tube behind each testicle, called the epididymis.
Just before ejaculation, the sperm go from the epididymis into another set of tubes, called vas deferens. Each vas deferens traverses the scrotum, enters the abdomen and joins the ejaculatory duct and seminal vesicle behind the bladder in the pelvis. When ejaculation occur, the sperm mix with fluid from the prostate and seminal vesicles. This forms semen. Semen then travels through the urethra and out of the penis.
Male fertility depends on man’s body making normal sperm and delivering them. The sperm go into the female partner’s vagina. The sperm travel through the woman’s cervix into her uterus to her fallopian tubes. There, if a sperm and egg meet, fertilization happens.
The system only works when genes, hormone levels and environmental conditions are right.
What are the common causes of male infertility?
Making mature, healthy sperm that can travel depends on many things. Problems can stop cells from growing into sperm. Problems can keep the sperm from reaching the egg. Even the temperature of the scrotum may affect fertility. The main causes of male infertility:
Sperm problems can be from traits a man is born with (genetic diseases). Lifestyle choices can lower sperm numbers. Smoking, drinking alcohol, and taking certain medications can lower sperm numbers. Other causes of low sperm numbers include long-term sickness (such as kidney failure), childhood infections (such as mumps), and chromosome or hormone problems (such as low testosterone).
Damage to the reproductive system can cause low or no sperm. About 4 out of every 10 men with total lack of sperm (azoospermia) have an obstruction (blockage) within the tubes the sperm travel through. A birth defect or a problem such as an infection can cause a blockage.
Other causes of Male Infertility are:
What are the common diagnostic tests?
Causes of male fertility can be hard to diagnose. The problems are most often with sperm production or delivery. Diagnosis starts with a full history and physical exam. Other commonly utilized diagnostic tests are:
What treatment options are available?
Treatment depends on what’s causing infertility. Many problems can be fixed with drugs or surgery. This would allow conception through normal sex. In certain cases with no response to medical treatment or when surgery is not feasible (unknown causes of male infertility), sperm harvest from the testis and assisted reproduction techniques (IVF) may be required.
Frequently Asked Questions on Male Infertility
Yes. Research shows that routine smoking affects sperm in many ways. It causes sperm cells to be smaller and slower. It harms their DNA. Smoking can also affect the seminal fluid ejaculated with sperm.
Yes. Steroids taken by mouth or shot can cause your body to stop making the hormones needed to make sperm.
Not necessarily. For most couples seeking fertility treatment, the risk of conceiving a child with a birth defect is the same as for the general population. Some problems (chiefly genetic problems) that cause infertility may also cause a greater risk of conceiving a child with birth defects. So couples need thorough exams and advice before beginning some forms of ARTs.
Infertility is not your or your partner’s fault. The American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) estimates that in about a third of infertility cases it is due to the male. Another third is the female.
In the last third of infertile couples, the problem is caused by either a combination of reasons, or, in 20 out of 100 cases, it can’t be explained. In men, few or no sperm is the biggest problem. In women, the common problems are ovulation problems and blocked tubes. But today, technology and surgical tools exist to address many of these problems.
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