What Causes Male Infertility?
Infertility is diagnosed when a couple has been trying to conceive for more than one year. It may be caused by:
- Low sperm motility.
- Aspermia or absence of sperm.
- Teratospermia or abnormal shape and size of sperm.
- Oligospermia or decreased number of sperm.
- Idiopathic male infertility or Unexplained Infertility.
Idiopathic Male Infertility: This kind of infertility in men that has no known cause. Scientists believe that it maybe cause by a virus, a genetic disease, or environmental factors. Diagnosis in male infertility as in the case of idiopathic infertility, involves a series of factual examination and analysis that includes the following:
- Medical history of the patient.
- History taking and physical exam.
- Semen analysis where a sample of semen is microscopically examined for sperm count and morphology.
- Hormone analysis and level determination.
Prevention Of Male Infertility
As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Here are very simple steps:
- Avoid smoking. Better if you can totally quit.
- Avoid consuming excessive amounts of alcohol.
- Avoid the use of drugs such as marijuana and cocaine.
- Avoid coitus for at least one month to allow growth and matured sperm to be sufficiently ejaculated.
Idiopathic Male Infertility Treatment
Managing male infertility of idiopathic origin is usually resistant to drug and therapy treatment.
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) or fertility treatments iui, where in the sperm is introduced into the mother’s womb (as in Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer or GIFT) to aid fertilization or a blasocyst (actively dividing fertilized cell) as in Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer (ZIFT).
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) where a matured ovum is harvested from the ovary and is fertilized with a sperm outside the mother’s uterus. Once fertilization has occurred, it will be transferred through the vagina and cervix towards the uterus for implantation.
- Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a type of IVF where the sperm is injected directly to the ovum. This is the most effective treatment for idiopathic male infertility.