Signs and symptoms you may notice include: Problems with sexual function — for example, difficulty with ejaculation or small volumes of fluid ejaculated, reduced sexual desire, or difficulty maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction) Pain, swelling or a lump in the testicle area. Recurrent respiratory infections.
A trained expert checks your sperm count, their shape, movement, and other characteristics. In general, if you have a higher number of normal-shaped sperm, it means you have higher fertility. But there are plenty of exceptions to this. A lot of guys with low sperm counts or abnormal semen are still fertile.
Your health care provider will study your sperm volume, count, concentration, movement ("motility"), and structure. The results of the semen analysis tests tells about your ability to conceive (start a pregnancy). Even if the semen test shows low sperm numbers or no sperm, it may not mean you are permanently infertile.
Causes of male infertility
Abnormal sperm production or function due to undescended testicles, genetic defects, health problems such as diabetes, or infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, mumps or HIV. Enlarged veins in the testes (varicocele) also can affect the quality of sperm.
Yellow semen may also indicate urine in the semen. This can be an issue that requires attention from a fertility specialist, as it may indicate infertility. Pink or reddish-brown semen suggests that you may have some bleeding from or inflammation of your prostate.
Signs and symptoms you may notice include: Problems with sexual function — for example, difficulty with ejaculation or small volumes of fluid ejaculated, reduced sexual desire, or difficulty maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction) Pain, swelling or a lump in the testicle area. Recurrent respiratory infections.
Having your semen tested by a lab is the best way to know whether you're fertile. This type of test is called a lab semen analysis. A lab semen analysis checks: Semen volume.
Low sperm count symptoms might include: Problems with sexual function — for example, low sex drive or difficulty maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction) Pain, swelling or a lump in the testicle area. Decreased facial or body hair or other signs of a chromosome or hormone abnormality.
Because of modern technology, 90% of all infertile males have the potential to conceive their own genetic child. There are treatments for the causes of infertility, lifestyle changes you can make to prevent infertility and there are surgeries and procedures to try.
Men start losing their fertility at age 40.
In a study of more than 1,900 couples, irrespective of the woman's age, IVF attempts involving men 40 or older failed 70 percent more often than IVF attempts involving men younger than 30. Previous theory: Older men produce fewer kids because they get less sex.
While there are some situations in which male infertility can be reversed with medication or surgery, in most cases, assisted reproductive technology (ART; for example, in vitro fertilization or "IVF") is the recommended approach.
Roughly 15 percent of couples in the United States have trouble conceiving, and over 50 percent of the time, there is a male infertility issue.
If you're a guy who has been diagnosed with infertility, you should talk to your doctor about any behavioral changes you can make that might increase your chances of conceiving. If your sperm count is low, your doctor may recommend having intercourse less frequently in order to build up a better concentration of sperm.
Male fertility is not necessarily permanent, and whether it is treatable depends on the underlying cause. If the condition causing the infertility is treatable, your doctor may recommend a combination of treatment methods.
With respect to the male aspects of infertility, you can produce perfectly good sperm, but not be able to produce an erection for a host of different reasons. Sexual arousal isn't just physical, it can also have emotional or psychological causes.
Eat a healthy diet.
Choose plenty of fruits and vegetables, which are rich in antioxidants — and might help improve sperm health.
The concentration of sperm is what makes the semen cloudy and thick, so if your ejaculate is watery it is possible that you have a low sperm count. This doesn't mean you're infertile (so precautions to prevent pregnancy still need to be taken for couples that don't want to get pregnant).
About 9% of men and about 11% of women of reproductive age in the United States have experienced fertility problems. In one-third of infertile couples, the problem is with the man.
What is infertility? Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive a pregnancy after 12 months of unprotected sexual intercourse. It affects about 1 in 6 Australian couples of reproductive age.
Healthy semen is a cloudy white color with a jelly consistency similar to a raw egg. Slight changes in semen color, texture, and even smell might be normal and should no pose concern. In some cases, semen color changes could be a sign of an underlying issue.
Male fertility generally starts to reduce around age 40 to 45 years when sperm quality decreases. Increasing male age reduces the overall chances of pregnancy and increases time to pregnancy (the number of menstrual cycles it takes to become pregnant) and the risk of miscarriage and fetal death.