| The inability to conceive after a year
of unprotected intercourse is called infertility.
More than 30% of infertility cases are attributed
to the male factor alone i.e. fertility problems
in men.
Male infertility could be caused by one
or more of the following factors:
- Sperm disorders: azoospermia –
semen contains no sperm; oligospermia
– semen has low or insufficient
sperm count; abnormally shaped sperm;
sperm with poor motility
- Hormonal imbalance: lower production
of male sex hormones due to physiological
or genetic factors
- Functional problems: impotence, testicular
problems due to injury or disease, difficulties
with ejaculation, antibodies that hinder
normal sperm activity
- Idiopathic infertility: infertility
due to unknown causes
A doctor will suggest a treatment option
depending on the cause of infertility and
the severity of the problem. It should be
noted that no treatment works 100 percent.
Reproduction is a complex process and there
is only so much that we can do.
SURGERY
Varicocele (enlarged veins in the scrotum)
is the most common cause of male infertility
and can be successfully treated with surgery.
Surgery can also help repair or remove blockages
or obstructions in sperm conduction pathways
in a man’s reproductive system.
HORMONE THERAPY OR MEDICATION
Infertility due to a hormonal imbalance
affects about one man in hundred. This problem
is countered with injections once or twice
a week to stimulate hormone production or
improve sperm production
ARTIFICIAL INSEMNATION
The man’s semen is collected, concentrated
and transferred with instruments directly
into the woman’s uterus. This method
is used when infertility is a cause of some
functional problems such as impotence.
ASISTED REPRODUCTION TECHNIQUES (ART)
ARTs do not solve or treat male infertility,
but they give a couple a better chance of
conceiving. The most well-known ARTs are
in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and intra cytoplasmic
sperm injection (ICSI). IVF involves fertilizing
eggs in a laboratory i.e. conception in
a test tube or a beaker, and implanting
them into the woman’s uterus. ICSI,
a variation of IVF, entails injecting a
sperm into one egg and transferring the
fertilized egg to a woman’s uterus.
Treatment of male infertility is decided
by various factors like age, genetic makeup,
other medical concerns, lifestyle etc. half
of male infertility problems can be treated.
With medical advancements made every single
day, you can have a child with your genetic
makeup.
MORE ON INFERTILITY IN MEN
|
