5 Facts About Male Infertility
What is infertility?
A couple is considered infertile if they cannot achieve pregnancy after at least one year of unprotected sexual intercourse. A doctor will need to make this diagnosis, and it will likely be diagnosed after various tests on both individuals. Sometimes, both partners struggle with infertility, and sometimes only one is diagnosed with fertility issues.
Here are some facts you may not know about male infertility:
1. The cause of male infertility could be any number of factors.
When people hear of a medical condition they have, they often want to find out what caused it. This can be difficult with male infertility because there are so many factors that can contribute. Some of these include problems with sexual intercourse, prior surgeries, certain medication, chemical exposure, drug and alcohol use, weight, ejaculation issues, infection, tumors, undescended testicles, and hormone imbalances. Sometimes, a cause is never identified. If you are worried about infertility, the best thing to do is talk to your doctor.
2. You can’t always prevent male infertility.
While male infertility often happens because of factors outside of our control, you can take action to limit your risk factors. These include maintaining a healthy weight, reducing stress, avoiding exposure to chemicals/toxins and heavy metals that are known to cause infertility, avoiding tobacco products and illicit drugs, and limiting or abstaining from alcohol. Keep in mind that male infertility often happens due to genetics, and there is often no discernable cause for infertility.
3. The doctor may perform more than a semen analysis.
While a semen analysis along with a general physical examination of you and your medical history are the standard steps for diagnosing infertility, there are other steps that may be required. These may include ultrasounds of the testicles, hormone testing, urinalysis, testicular biopsy, and genetic tests.
4. Treatment for male infertility will vary.
Oftentimes, a cause for infertility is hard to pinpoint, so treatment can also be difficult to determine. Depending on the cause, treatments may include medications/antibiotics to treat infections or erectile dysfunction, surgery, or assisted reproductive technology. In some cases, the doctor may suggest that you and your partner consider methods such as using donor sperm or possibly adoption.
5. There are things you can do to increase your chances of achieving pregnancy.
Things you can do include increasing the frequency of sexual intercourse to every day or every other day, making sure that you are having sex close to your partner’s ovulation (the time mid-cycle when your partner is likely to become pregnant), avoiding lubricants, which may prevent sperm movement and function, and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
If you are worried that you or your partner may be struggling with infertility, discuss it with your doctor, who can help provide additional information and begin testing if necessary. If you’ve already received a diagnosis and would like information about advanced reproductive technology options, please contact your IVF clinic. There are a number of options available for individuals and couples.