Threats to Male Fertility

Both a man and the woman need to be healthy in order to produce a child. When a couple cannot conceive a child in a span of one year, they might be having infertility problems. According to research, infertility affects 10% (or about 6.1 million) Americans in the reproductive age. Contrary to myth, infertility is not always a "woman's problem." A third of the cases (about 35%) are actually due to male infertility.

Infertility in men may be caused by many factors such as low sperm count (or nothing at all), ejaculation problems, or "abnormal" sperm, which is said to be malformed and have a short life span.

Generally, your fertility is based upon your general health. If you live a healthy lifestyle, there is a high probability that your sperm will also be healthy. There are quite a number of threats that may affect male fertility. Nicotine, alcohol and drugs (e.g., marijuana and cocaine) are on the top of the list.

According to studies, smoking drastically decreases the sperm count and overall health of sperm cells.

Poor diet (malnutrition) can also contribute to male infertility, including deficiency in vitamin C and zinc in your diet. Some diseases (e.g., tuberculosis, fevers, anemia, and mumps in adulthood) and infections are also suspect. These are infections of the reproductive system such as epididymitis, orchitis, and prostatitis. Some sexually transmitted disease such as chlamydia or gonorrhea also damages the spermatic ducts. You also risk transmitting your disease to your partner causing her to be infertile.

Some medications are also believed to be causes of male infertility. This include cancer-treating agents (e.g., chemotheraphy), anti-fungal medication (ketoconazole), antidiarrheal drug (sulfasalazine), Azulfidine (a drug used to treat ulcerative colitis), and some groups of antibiotics (nitrofurans and macrolides). Likewise, the use of anabolic steroids is also known to cause testicular shrinkage and infertility.

Other threats to male fertility also include testosterone deficiency, trauma or injury to the testes, structural abnormality or blockage in the vas deferens, and varicocele, a varicose vein in the testicle that produces too much heat which harms and potentially kills sperm.

Some are also connected to your lifestyle, like excessive stress, overly intense exercise (may lower your sperm count by producing higher levels of adrenal steroid hormones, which lower the amount of testosterone in the body), tight underwear or jogging pants, hot tubs, saunas, or anything that raises the temperature of your scrotum, including overheated vehicles and hot work environments, and exposure to environmental hazards such as pesticides, lead, paint, mercury, benzene, boron, radiation (x-ray), radioactive substances, and heavy metals.

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Treating Male Fertility Or Male Infertility

Infertility is a couple's inability to conceive a child after 12 months of unprotected sex. It is widely assumed that infertility has more to do with women rather than men, however it is not so. Estimates suggest that 30% of infertility is caused by male factors, another 30% is caused by female factors and the remaining 40% is caused by a combination of female and male factors. Men also suffer from infertility due to genetic reasons, lifestyle, hormonal imbalance, and age.

Let's take a look at the cause, diagnosis, and possible treatments available.

Rapid urbanization has changed the way men eat, drink, and sleep and that has taken a toll on their health. Consumption of alcohol, smoking, drugs, unhealthy eating patterns, stress and obesity are believed to be the common causes for infertility. Being overweight or underweight may also prove to be risk factors.

A recent study also suggests that external factors like pollution can also infiltrate male reproductive organs. However, you can reduce the risk by a proper exercise and a healthy diet.
Some of the factors that play an important role in male infertility are: Sperm Motility, Sperm Morphology, and Sperm Count. Usually a semen analysis is conducted to diagnose the cause which includes the following:

Sperm motility:

Sperm motility is the ability of sperms to move towards the egg which results in its fertilization. Sperm which do not properly swim will not reach the egg in order to fertilize it.

Sperm count:

Sperm count is the quantity of sperms or cells, the more the sperms more are the chances of normal pregnancy. A healthy sperm count should total about 20 million sperm per milliliter and the normal semen volume per ejaculation is 2 ml. Azoospermia is a condition in which there is complete absence of sperm. It can also be congenital. Correctible causes must be found and treated. Even then if there are no sperm in the ejaculate, sperm can often be harvested and used to achieve fertilization.

Sperm morphology:

Sperm morphology refers to the size and shape (form) of an individual sperm which is evaluated during semen analysis. According to WHO manual of 1989, morphology is considered normal if it is around 30% or more.

Deficiency of any of these factors can result in infertility.

If you are facing infertility that does not means that your parental hopes have become extinct. Infertility is a common problem among men and fortunately these days, treatment options are available. If the cause is diagnosed at an early stage your chances of success are more as age plays an important role in infertility treatment. Modern scientific technologies like ART, ICSI, and IUI have made the treatment easy. However, this treatment can be very expensive and can burn a hole in your pocket. Today inexpensive methods are also available without any compromise on the treatment and methodology.

Always remember that infertility can be cured like any other disease and it does not mean that your masculinity is at stake. By being fit you can fight infertility.

If you have been through or experiencing infertility,come share your experiences with us.

Author of the article is an IVF Fertility, infertility specialist and runs fertility centre that provides the best affordable quality infertility,fertility treatments with advanced reproductive technologies like IVF,ART, GIFT, ZIFT, TET, ICSI,donor egg, surrogate and surrogacy services for all nationalities.

Rotunda-The Center for Human Reproduction