Male Factor
Problems in the concentration, movement and or shape of sperm are common in couples experiencing infertility. Disorders in sperm production and/or sperm function may be related to defects in the testicle(s), epididymis, vasa deferens, or hormonal deficiencies. Disorders may be able to be treated with medication and/or surgery, or fertilization may be enhanced using intrauterine inseminations or in vitro fertilization techniques. The most common cause of male factor infertility is low sperm count. Absence of sperm in the semen is less common, affecting only 1 percent of all men and 10 to 15 percent of infertile men. A semen analysis can determine whether male infertility is caused by a low or absent sperm count.
Potential causes of sperm count problems include the following:
-Hormonal problems of the testicles or pituitary gland
-Testicular injury or failure, either present at birth (congenital) or associated with radiation or toxic chemical exposure
-Cancer treatment with certain kinds of chemotherapy or radiation
-Antibodies that attack sperm (Sperm antibodies sometimes develop in a man's semen when his sperm has been exposed to his immune system outside of the testicles. This may happen after a vasectomy, an infection, or an injury to the testicles.)
-Drug use (including some prescription medications, as well as marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol)
-Structural problems, such as:
-A varicocele in the testicles
-Blocked ejaculation due to a surgical vasectomy
-Absence of a vas deferens (a birth defect that may be associated with the cystic fibrosis gene)
-Retrograde ejaculation (the ejaculation of semen into the bladder rather than out through the penis)
-Chromosomal problems (such as Klinefelter syndrome)
-Genetic problems
Treatments for male factor infertility will be influenced by at least three important factors:
1. Cause of infertility, if identifiable
2. Severity of the sperm defect
3. Age of the female partner
Potential causes of sperm count problems include the following:
-Hormonal problems of the testicles or pituitary gland
-Testicular injury or failure, either present at birth (congenital) or associated with radiation or toxic chemical exposure
-Cancer treatment with certain kinds of chemotherapy or radiation
-Antibodies that attack sperm (Sperm antibodies sometimes develop in a man's semen when his sperm has been exposed to his immune system outside of the testicles. This may happen after a vasectomy, an infection, or an injury to the testicles.)
-Drug use (including some prescription medications, as well as marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol)
-Structural problems, such as:
-A varicocele in the testicles
-Blocked ejaculation due to a surgical vasectomy
-Absence of a vas deferens (a birth defect that may be associated with the cystic fibrosis gene)
-Retrograde ejaculation (the ejaculation of semen into the bladder rather than out through the penis)
-Chromosomal problems (such as Klinefelter syndrome)
-Genetic problems
Treatments for male factor infertility will be influenced by at least three important factors:
1. Cause of infertility, if identifiable
2. Severity of the sperm defect
3. Age of the female partner
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