Male infertility occurs more often than many people realize. A number of treatments exist to address the condition.
When male infertility occurs,
it can be a stressful situation for the man as well as the couple. As many as 15% of all couples are unable to conceive a child. The typical definition of infertility in a couple is not achieving pregnancy after six months to a year of trying. Some of the reasons that a man may be unable to procreate include sperm quality or quantities, health problems, diseases, injuries or even lifestyle habits. In a female, there are an array of issues that could be present including her age, lifestyle habits, lack of ovulation and diseases. Sometimes it's the combination of the man and woman that is a problem as their bodies aren't compatible for procreation due to allergies or something else.
Problems in a Male
Some of the problems that a man may be having include low sperm count, inability to obtain an erection, inability to ejaculate, past surgery in the groin area, pain or lumps in the testicles, or hormonal imbalance. While these troubles may be embarrassing for a guy, he must discuss the issues with a physician if his partner hasn't achieved pregnancy after six months to a year of trying.
Possible Causes of Infertility
Healthy sperm in adequate numbers is a must to father a child. This means that there should be 20 million in every millimeter of semen. Semen is the fluid that transports sperm to its destination -- the egg. These swimmers must be of the proper shape, size and mobility to be effective in getting to their target, which is the woman's egg. Not only must these tiny items make it there, they must be able to penetrate the ovum to make the pregnancy occur. Some problems that could be hampering this process include a varicocele, which equates to a swollen vein within the testicles. There may also be an infection that could be clogging up the works. STDs, prostate problems, UTIs or even the mumps may be the culprit. Retrograde ejaculation is a problem that entails semen entering the bladder instead of making its way out of the penis. Illnesses, injuries and medications, especially those to alleviate prostate ills may be the culprit in retrograde ejaculation. Another possible culprit is spending too much time in hot tubs or wearing snug underwear. Sperm must be kept at a certain temperature -- too hot of temps will kill off these swimming champs of procreation. Hormone imbalance may be a problem, too. Lifestyle habits such as smoking cigarettes, drinking too much alcohol or drug use can play a part, as well.
Treatments to Increase Fertility
If a man is experiencing male infertility, he should see a doctor for testing his sperm quantity and quality, checking on other issues such as STDs, retrograde ejaculation, ways to cut out stress, curtail tobacco use, overuse of alcoholic beverages, retire the tight underwear and sitting in hot tubs.
When female or male infertility occurs, it can be a stressful situation for both individuals. Seeing a doctor for examination and treatments can lead to a diagnosis of the problems and hopefully lead to pregnancy soon after.
