Male infertility is a man’s inability to produce sperm that is of adequate quality to fertilize a female egg.

Men’s infertility is also a problem that is getting worse, even among young men.

Dr. Patson Makobore, a healthcare practitioner specializing as a surgeon at Najera Hospital, said that natural male reproduction depends on several things.

“You may have male infertility if your female partner has not become pregnant after you have tried for one year. This means one year of regular sex without any birth control,” Dr. Makobore said.

According to Dr. Makobore, the issue of women’s infertility has received considerable attention compared to that of men.

He added that anything that blocks the genital tract can stop the flow of semen. This could be a genetic or birth defect. Infection or inflammation from a sexually transmitted disease could also block semen.

Here are some of the main causes of male infertility that Dr. Makobore explained:

Sperm disorders

According to him, problems with making healthy sperm are the most common causes of male infertility. Sperm may be immature, abnormally shaped, or unable to swim. In some cases, one may not have enough sperm or may not make any sperm.

He explained that the problem associated with having inadequate or no sperm may be caused by many different conditions, such as varicocele, infections, hormonal imbalances, genetic disorders, and certain medications.

Dr. Makobore added that lifestyle factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, drug use, cancer treatment, and exposure to environmental toxins can also affect sperm production and quality.

“In addition to sperm disorders, other factors that can contribute to male infertility include erectile dysfunction, retrograde ejaculation (when semen enters the bladder instead of exiting through the penis), and blockages in the reproductive tract,” he elaborated.

However, Johns Hopkins Medicine University in the United States and Nova IVF Fertility Hospital in Mumbai, India, explained other causes such as scar tissue from surgery or twisted, swollen veins in the scrotum.

Other factors may include erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation. Liver or kidney disease or treatment for seizure disorders are examples of problems that can cause infertility.

Who is at risk for male infertility?

According to Nova IVF Fertility Hospital, children with childhood infections such as mumps and chromosome problems or hormone problems such as low testosterone are at a high risk of suffering from male infertility.

Research indicates that one may also be at risk if they take certain prescription medicines. These include medicines for ulcers, psoriasis, depression, and high blood pressure.

How is male infertility diagnosed?

Dr. Makobore advised that the healthcare provider may review the patient’s health history and carry out a physical exam. Other tests for male infertility may include scrotal ultrasound, transrectal hormone testing, post-ejaculation genetic tests, testicular biopsy, and specialized sperm function tests.

How is male infertility treated?

Dr. Makobore said that while male infertility can be a challenging issue to address, there are a variety of treatments available, depending on the underlying cause. These may include medication to improve sperm production or function, surgery to correct blockages or varicocele, or assisted reproductive technologies such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Treatment depends on what is causing one’s infertility.

Fertility help

According to research by Hopkins Medicine University, this is one of the treatments that involves helping your partner get pregnant. This may be through:

Medicine

Research indicates that hormone treatment may help you if you have a hormone disorder causing your infertility. Hormone imbalances can affect how sperm develop. They might be a result of an issue with the way the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and testes interact. Treatment may include gonadotropin therapy or antibiotics.

Surgery

Surgery is another way to fix problems that keep sperm from being made, matured, or ejaculated. Surgery to remove twisted, swollen veins in the scrotum (varicocele) can sometimes improve the quality of sperm.