Male infertility: All about Oligospermia

Oligospermia is an abnormality in the sperm, in terms of the amount of sperm. 

• When do we talk about Oligospermia? 
• What can we do about this type of male infertility, especially with a view of pregnancy? 
• What are the causes of oligospermia? 

We will tell you everything about what is hidden behind this medical term.

The search for a cause of infertility in men generally begins with a spermogram, which makes it possible to analyze the quality and quantity of the spermatozoa present in the ejaculate.

But while it is generally easy to submit to a spermogram, it can be much more complicated to understand the terms indicated in the analysis result of this sample.

The various possible sperm alterations thus include:

• Oligospermia, which means a low number of sperm;
• Asthenospermiaor asthenozoospermia, characterized by low mobility of the spermatozoa;
• Necrospermiaor necrozoospermia, characterizing the presence of a very large number of dead sperm (over 42%);
• Azoospermia, which means the complete absence of sperm;
• Teratospermia, designating an abnormal morphology of the spermatozoa.

Note that these terms can unfortunately be combined: It is possible to have oligospermia, asthenospermia, and teratospermia all together. We then speak of oligo-astheno-teratospermia (OATS). When it is severe (less than 1 million sperm per ml, no or very few motile abnormal forms), it is called cryptozoospermia.

Oligospermia diagnosis: How severe is this condition?

Oligospermia diagnosis is possible thanks to spermogram. We speak of oligospermia when the ejaculate contains an abnormally low number of spermatozoa. The World Health Organization estimates a condition of oligospermia when the concentration is lower than 15 million sperms per milliliter.

However, there are degrees of Oligospermia:

• It is said to be moderate when the count is between 5 to 10 million sperm/ml;
• It is mild when the count is between 10 to15 million sperm/ml;
• It is considered severe when the sperm count is less than 5 million sperm/ml.

 Oligospermia Symptoms-

Oligospermia symptoms include pain or lump in the testicle region, low sex drive, a hormonal abnormality, decreased body or facial hair, etc. The first and the most common symptom of this condition is the inability to conceive.

 Oligospermia Causes-

Different oligospermia causes include:

• A testicular varicocele, a large varicose dilation (varicose veins) of the veins of the spermatic cord, located in the bursae, above and around each testicle;
• A hormonal defect or deficiency;
• An infection that has caused an obstruction of the vas deferens or inflammation of the seminal vesicles;
• A testicular malformation;
• Poorly treated testicular torsion;
• A genetic defect;
• Drug treatments (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, etc.);
• Exposure of the testicles to high temperatures;

Note that, depending on its cause (s), oligospermia can be reversible, or irreversible.

 Oligospermia Treatment-

When it is mild and is not accompanied by another sperm abnormality, oligospermia is not necessarily an obstacle to fertility, since it only takes one well-formed sperm to fertilize the egg.

However, it can be good to adopt dietary measures as a natural oligospermia treatment, to try to improve spermatogenesis:

• Stop or at least decrease alcohol, tobacco, caffeine;
• Keep a normal body mass index(between 18 and 25 kg/m2);
• Play sports regularly;
• Make sure to keep a healthy and balanced diet.

Sometimes redoing a spermogram at least 72 days after the first examination can invalidate or confirm oligospermia, because influenza or simply a feverish state may have temporarily disrupted spermatogenesis.

If the cause of oligospermia is known and can be managed (an infection for example), the quality of the sperm can be improved by appropriate drug treatments.

When oligospermia is severe and/or associated with another sperm abnormality, such as teratospermia and/or asthenospermia, we can speak of male infertility. To treat it and try to carry out pregnancy in spite of it, one can opt for assisted reproductive technology, and in particular to artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization with or without ICSI (intracytoplasmic injection of sperm in the ovum) to achieve pregnancy and happy parenthood.

To know more about various fertility treatments including IVF, visit the best infertility centre in India.