How Common is Male Infertility?

Male Infertility is very common. Providing the best infertility treatment in Delhi, we know over 40% of all infertility cases are because of the husband. Evaluation of male factor begins with a very simple and inexpensive test called Semen analysis that tells us about the quantity and quality of sperm produced. Basic abnormalities in semen analysis could be in the form of

Poor sperm count - Oligospermia, defined as count < 15 million (earlier 20 million) / ml Poor sperm motility - Asthenospermia Poor sperm morphology - Teratospermia Combination of the above - OAT or oligo-astheno-teratospermia Complete absence of sperm in the ejaculate - Azoospermia

Azoospermia or zero sperm count has to be differentiated from ‘Aspermia’ which means the man is not able to ejaculate at all, or there is no fluid in the ejaculation.

Not only is Male Infertility common, its incidence is increasing day by day. This phenomenon of rising male problems is observed globally. Faulty diet habits, environmental pollution, exposure to chemicals, smoking, alcohol abuse, sugary drinks, etc are all said to contribute to this problem.

Not just abnormalities in the semen parameters, erection or ejaculatory disorders can also contribute to infertility. Some of them are:

Retrograde ejaculation (ejaculate goes back into the bladder instead of coming out) Anejaculation (inability to arrive at orgasm) Impotence or erectile dysfunction Hypospadias (sperm is deposited outside the vagina) Sexual dysfunction or infrequent intercourse

What are the causes of Male Infertility? Why does it happen?

Male Infertility is becoming more common so now almost one in twenty men is sub-fertile. Half of all IVF/ICSI cycles are done for male factor worldwide. For most men the diagnosis of infertility comes as a shock because they never thought this could happen to them.

So why does it happen?

Most common cause appears to be genetic. In all males there is one X and one Y chromosome. This Y chromosome has lot of important genes that help in normal sexual differentiation and sperm production. Absence of certain genes or breakage of Y chromosome leads to impaired sperm production. Almost 2/3rd of all males with unexplained male factor have this problem. Other rare causes include an obstruction to passage of sperm from testis (site of production) to urethra (site of ejaculation). This could be anywhere - from epididymis to vas to ejaculatory ducts. Sexually transmitted infections sometime lead to this condition. Obviously men who had undergone vasectomy would have blockage. Complete blockage leads to Azoospermia or zero sperm. Anti-sperm antibodies in some men Erection or ejaculation disorders. This is common in men with hypertension, diabetes, those who’ve had pelvic surgeries and those with neurological disorders. Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism is found in 5% of all Male Infertility cases. Here the problem is with a gland in the brain which does not function well.

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