Treatments for male infertility

What is male infertility?

The World Health Organization defines infertility as one year of frequent, unprotected intercourse during which pregnancy has not occurred. When an infertile couple seek medical advice, it is essential that they are evaluated together, in order to determine if the cause of the infertility can be attributed to the male partner, the female partner, or both. In the case of male infertility, the failure to conceive results from an abnormality in the male reproductive system, leading to impairment of sperm quality, sperm quantity, or both. The term "azospermia" is used if no sperm are present in the ejaculate and "oligospermia" means that the sperm count is lower than normal. Abnormal sperm motility means that the majority of the sperm are not moving forwards in a normal fashion, while abnormal morphology means that a significant number of the sperm are misshapen.

Male infertility alone explains around 25% of cases of failure to conceive, while in about another 25% of cases, both the male and female partner have fertility problems. Infertility treatment therefore needs to be carefully tailored for every couple, in order to give them the best chance of achieving a successful outcome.

Male infertility is diagnosed from medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests (including semen analysis and blood tests) and sometimes additional tests such as an ultrasound scan. Whenever possible, it is important to determine the cause of male infertility, as this will help to guide treatment choices. There are a number of treatable conditions, including hormone deficiency, obstruction, and coital disorders. In some cases, assisted conception may be appropriate. Male infertility is usually treated initially by an endocrinologist, but referral to other specialists such as a urologist may be necessary, depending on the type of treatment required.

Is there a problem which can be corrected, for instance with a lifestyle change, medication or surgery?

While as many as 50% of cases of male infertility are unknown, it is suspected that at least some of them are due to lifestyle factors. Therefore, it is sensible for all men with infertility problems to make lifestyle changes if necessary. These changes may include stopping smoking, reducing alcohol intake, losing weight, avoiding illicit drugs, eating a healthy diet with vitamin/mineral supplementation if necessary and taking measures to avoid testicular

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