Sexual Health for Men - Infertility

One in seven couples struggle to conceive their first child and unfortunately more often than not it is usually the male who suffers from infertility. That's what they have got to face up to.

But why do so many men struggle with infertility?

There are several causes of fertility problems in men. They include:

OBSTRUCTIVE PROBLEMS

A blockage in a sperm-carrying tubes has many potential causes. They may include groin surgery, trauma to scrotum (skin covering testicles), infections like chlamydia and previous vasectomy (a procedure where sperm carrying tubes are tied).

INJURY TO TESTICLES

A blow to the testicles, which may occur in sport or during a fight, can cause swelling of the testicles, or bleeding in or around them. This probably causes the blood supply to the testicles to fail, resulting in permanent damage to the sperm production mechanism.

VERICOCELE

A varicocele is a dilation of the testicular veins in the spermatic cord that leads from the testicles to the abdomen. The role of this condition in causing infertility is uncertain and highly controversial. Varicoceles occur in 15-20 per cent of fertile men and 30 to 40 per cent of men with fertility problems. They can occur on either or both sides, but are far more common on the left.

SPERM DISORDERS

Disorders of sperm numbers, movement and shape are common in men with infertility. Prolonged abstinence from ejaculation can affect sperm motility. Modern techniques can identify structural and biochemical abnormalities within the individual sperm.

GENETIC DISORDERS

Problems with chromosomes (packages of genetic material) occur in about 2 to 20 per cent of infertile men.

HORMONAL PROBLEMS

Testosterone deficiency can reduce fertility and may be caused by problems with testicular testosterone production, or problems with the pituitary gland or hypothalamus in the brain, which control testosterone production. Overproduction of prolactin (hyperprolactinaemia), a hormone produced by the pituitary gland, may also reduce fertility.

GENERAL MEDICAL DISORDER 

There are several conditions that may reduce fertility:

• High Fever
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Kidney disease
• Alcoholism
• Stress
  

Tips on how to avoid firing blanks can be obtained in the impotence page.

 

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