Male Infertility
It is estimated that in the United States, 40
percent of couples are unable to conceive due
to male factor infertility. Determining the cause(s)
of male infertility mainly depends upon the results
of a semen
analysis.
Some of the more common causes of male infertility
are:
- Low sperm count (the number of sperm in an
ejaculate)
- Low sperm motility (the sperm have a difficult
time swimming to the egg)
- Low sperm progression (the speed at which
sperm move)
- Low number of normally formed or “normal
looking” sperm
Often, these problems are not isolated. Several
infertility symptoms can occur at the same time.
For example, a patient may have a low sperm count
with low motility and a low number of normal sperm.
Other areas that may affect male fertility include:
- illness
- infections
- childhood history of undescended testes
- testicular trauma
- hernia repair
In addition, use of lubricants, timing and frequency
of intercourse, use of medications or recreational
drugs, exposure to chemicals or radiation, smoking
and use of steroids can affect fertility in a
man.
Approximately 20 percent of couples with male
infertility are diagnosed with azoospermia; this
means there are no sperm in the ejaculate. This
condition is generally be grouped into two
categories:
Obstructive azoospermia – a blockage
of the ejaculatory ducts preventing the sperm
from being ejaculated. Causes include; vasectomy,
failed vasectomy reversal, absence of the vas
deferens and inflammatory scarring of the epididymis.
Non-obstructive azoospermia - severely
impaired or non-existent sperm production. Causes
include: Klinefelter's
Syndrome, hypogonadism hypogonadotropic (a
lack of sperm producing hormones), paraplegia,
multiple sclerosis and diabetes. In some cases
sperm may be found and extracted directly from
the testicles.
Penn Fertility Care offers a comprehensive evaluation
to test, diagnose and treat infertility problems.
There are a number of new techniques available
to treat male infertility. To learn more about
the services and programs Penn Fertility Care
offers to both male and female patients, visit
our Services and Programs section.
Diagnosis and Treatments
Our comprehensive services for male infertility include:
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