Raising a family is one of life’s most rewarding experiences and therefore being diagnosed with infertility can be a hard challenge for a man to face. Although traditionally considered a woman’s issue, infertility is also widespread among men.
According to statistics, approximately 10% of men in the US suffer from infertility problems. When couples have difficulty with conception, male infertility contributes to the problem at least half the time, and the issue lies solely with the man in 1/3 of the cases.
Common causes of male infertility include hormone disorders, injury to the testicles, illness, certain types of medications or treatments, ductal obstruction, enlargement of veins in the scrotum, or retrograde ejaculation. These conditions may either temporarily or permanently cause male infertility.
There may not be any obvious signs of male infertility. The appearance and quantity of ejaculated sperm often appears normal, and a medical evaluation is usually needed to diagnose the condition.
An in-depth diagnosis will include a complete physical examination looking for conditions that may impact fertility as well as detailed sperm analysis to determine the number, shape, quality and motility, viability of sperm, semen analysis, hormone testing, and genetic testing.
The good news is that most fertility problems can be successfully treated due to rapid advances in reproductive technology. Men with very low sperm counts have hope, thanks to high-tech treatments such as intrauterine insemination (IUI), in-vitro fertilization (IVF), and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), which give the sperm a boost to enter and fertilize the egg.
Age also plays a factor. Male fertility tends to gradually decrease with age, and if you suspect you may be infertile, it is a good idea to check with your doctor or a reproductive specialist sooner rather than later to improve your chances of a successful treatment.
ReproMed fertility clinics are located throughout Dallas, Grapevine, McKinney, Rockwall and in Tyler, Texas, giving patients convenient access to experienced, knowledgeable, and compassionate reproductive health specialists. Contact us for an appointment today.