Causes of Male Infertility

Infertility has historically been thought of as a woman's problem. But the fact is, men do not get off that easily. About one out of every three cases of infertility is because of the man alone, and the man is somehow involved in infertility fifty percent of the time. Here is some important info from Metropolitan Urological Specialists in St. Louis, MO.

A diagnosis of male infertility may be one of the hardest challenges a man can face. For some, it may be devastating. Not being able to father a child can easily make a guy feel like he’s failing at one of his most cardinal responsibilities. Sadly, some men need to cope with the fact that absolutely nothing can be done about their infertility. But for many other men, advances in male infertility treatment offer real help.

Understanding Male Infertility: Sex Ed 101

To better understand infertility, here is a refresher course on the birds and the bees:

Sperm are produced within the testicles. They're then stored inside yards of “plumbing” known as epididymis, which lies on top of each testicle. Sperm are nourished by semen, which is made by glands along the way. Upon ejaculation, about a hundred and fifty million sperm are ejaculated in a half-teaspoon of semen through the penis. This entire process depends on there being proper levels of testosterone and other hormones in addition to correct signaling from the nervous system.

Women ovulate — send an egg into the uterus — every month. This happens approximately 2 weeks after menstruation. Sex any time in the five days prior to ovulation can make a pregnancy. Sex any other time, even the next day after ovulation, will not result in conception.

It is usually a smart idea to seek fertility evaluation if your partner and you are unable to conceive after one year of unprotected sex. About 85% of couples will have had a pregnancy by that time. If you're over 30, you should seek evaluation after six months. Metropolitan Urological Specialists offers evaluations for couples everywhere in St. Louis, Creve Coeur, Florissant, and Kirkwood, MO.

Common Causes of Male Infertility

The “male factor” plays a role in infertility around half the time, and about one third of the time, it's the main cause of infertility. Most often, the problem lies in the process of either making or moving the sperm.

Any of the following can cause a man to have a low sperm count or abnormal sperm:

•   Varicocele — an abnormal collection of bulging veins above the testicle; they’re the most common cause of reversible male infertility, accounting for 38% of cases
•   Undescended testicle
•   Infections within the testicle (orchitis), the prostate (prostatitis), or somewhere else in the body that causes a fever
•   Chemotherapy for cancer
•   Medications such as anabolic steroids or anti-seizure medications
•   Genetic abnormalities
•   Hormone problems

In many cases, these issues may be reversed, but other times they cannot. An evaluation by a physician is the only way to sort it out.

Sometimes, making sperm just isn't the issue. The problem is getting the sperm where they need to go. Men with this type of male infertility have normal sperm in the testicles. But the sperm in the semen are either abnormal, very low in number, or not there at all. Causes of this kind of infertility include:

•   Retrogradeejaculation. In this condition, semen ejaculates backwards into the bladder instead of out the penis. Usually previous surgery is the cause.
•   Absence of the main sperm pipeline known as the vas deferens. This condition is a genetic problem.
•   Obstruction. An obstruction can occur anywhere in the plumbing between the testicles and the penis.
•   Anti-sperm antibodies. Antibodies can abnormally attack a man's own sperm on their way to the egg.

If you feel that you or your partner might be infertile, go to Metropolitan Urological Specialists in Washington, MO to get the help that you need.