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What Are Some Common Issues Related to Male Infertility?
Out of all infertility cases, about 40 to 50% are attributed to malefactors. Male infertility is defined as the male’s incapability to impregnate a fertile female.
It is an ailment with psychological, economic, medical implications leading to trauma & stress, especially in a social setup like India’s.
Infertility is a reproductive system disorder that can be According to the World Health Organization (WHO) if a couple fails to conceive while having unprotected sexual intercourse for 12 months or more, infertility can be established.
Types of issues related to male infertility
other than the ability to not conceive a child, a man may experience a handful of other issues that can represent an underlying problem:
Physiological Issues
Here are some medical issues causing conception problems that you may not be aware of unless tested:
Testicular Problems
Testicles are the sacs that enclose and protect the sperm. Varicocele is a condition of swelling in the testicles due to a tumor or infection that inhibits normal activity. It may also happen that one or both testicles never descend into the scrotum. Men who experience this are less likely to exhibit healthy fertility levels.
Health Issues
Frequent respiratory infections, past surgery, diseases, medication consumed in the past, or large hormonal changes have all been associated with infertility in men. Medicines that are given for arthritis, cancer, depression, digestion, infection, or high blood pressure also have a bad effect on sperm production, function, and delivery.
Hormonal Abnormalities
Hormonal imbalance or low testosterone levels also affect reproductive ability. High levels of the milk-producing hormone prolactin, blood sugar, or problems with the hormone-producing organs like the thyroid or adrenal gland can interfere with sperm production, libido, and orgasm.
Low Sperm Count
A sufficient number of sperm cells are required in high concentration in the male’s semen for it to fertilize the female’s eggs.
Clinically speaking, less than 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen, is a low sperm count. It is one of the most common causes of a male’s inability to impregnate a woman.
Quality of Sperm/ motility
Besides a good sperm count, sperms should also naturally possess other qualities such as motility. The morphology(structure of cell) and the ability to move fast govern sperm quality.
A decrease in sperm mobility inhibits it from reaching the eggs. The abnormal shape makes it less effective too.
Issues with Sexual Activity
Predominantly, this includes problems with the ejaculatory process, producing less semen, having a low libido, or having trouble maintaining an erection. It could be due to hormonal imbalance, other medical conditions, lifestyle habits, or unexplained factors.
Ejaculation disorder can impact pregnancy chances. Improper ejaculation means that sperm may not reach the egg and fertilize it.
It could be a complete inability to ejaculate, ejaculating too early, or into the urinary bladder (retrograde ejaculation). The latter is a physiological problem.
Also Read: Do Not Let Infertility Treatment Impact Your Marriage Adversely
Genetic Issues Related to Male Infertility
The genes contain two types of chromosomes- X & Y. The Y chromosome is the male chromosome. Due to abnormal gene mutations, some men get Klinefelter’s XXY syndrome in where their cells contain an extra X chromosome (female-sex determining structure ).
Dr. Shivani Bhutani, renowned IVF specialist says,” Advanced solutions are available for such couples. Genetic problems can be resolved by sperm screening, and by using a sperm donor.”
Environmental/Lifestyle Factors
Environmental factors can create some common issues related to male infertility. It plays a big role in giving problems in conception. These choices include:
Drugs and Alcohol
Illegal drugs & alcohol have the ability to reduce sperm production. Extreme drinking can also decrease testosterone levels, cause erectile dysfunction, and liver damage leading to infertility.
Steroidal medicines can cause testicles to decrease in size and decline count, while drugs such as cocaine or marijuana can substantially diminish sperm quality.
Cigarettes
Smoking can potentially cause low sperm count. Even secondary or passive smoking can play havoc with your fertility levels.
Stress
Stress directly linked to hormone production. When there is mental and emotional stress, anxiety, or depression, a man may not be in the best fertile condition.
Obesity
Maintaining an optimal weight is important not only for overall health but reproductive health too. Obesity can cause harm to sperm cells by drastic hormonal fluctuations in the body leading to male infertility.
Conclusion
Most people associate fertility with women and tend to ignore issues related to male infertility. However, many couples across the world are unable to conceive due to the male being infertile.
Understanding the causes that lead to male inability can help couples deal with them and seek befitting treatment. Discuss your problem with our counselor at Eva Hospital at any time.