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.
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.
Some at-home tests also check how well sperm can move. For a home sperm test, you collect a semen sample by ejaculating into a small cup. A home sperm test may be appealing because you can do it in the privacy of your own home. Results are often ready within a few minutes.
First, doctors will request a semen analysis – a test to look at your sperm. You ejaculate into a cup, and your sperm will be analyzed under a microscope. To get the best results, do not ejaculate for two to five days before your visit.
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.
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.
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. (See 'Assisted reproductive technologies' below.)
No. Even masturbating frequently won't have any effect on your sperm count or your ability to get pregnant. In fact, masturbation has a number of physical and mental health benefits — here are just a few: Masturbation releases stress and physical tension.
Studies have shown that the total motile sperm count (volume × concentration × motility) has been the most predictive factor in determining fertility compared to volume, concentration, and motility individually [6].
Can you still conceive if you're dealing with male infertility? As long as a man produces some amount of sperm, there's a chance he could get a woman pregnant. In fact, some couples dealing with low sperm counts or abnormal sperm are still able to conceive without any additional interventions.
A hormone imbalance or blockage of sperm movement can cause a lack of sperm. In some cases of infertility, a man produces less sperm than normal. The most common cause of this condition is varicocele, an enlarged vein in the testicle. Varicocele is present in about 40% of men with infertility problems.
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).
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.
Medication can treat some issues that affect male fertility, including hormone imbalances and erectile dysfunction. Surgery can be effective for repairing blockages in the tubes that transport sperm. Surgery can also be used for repair of varicocele.
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.
Peak male fertility is around 25-29 years old. Sperm quality begins to decline at 30. At 45, men begin to experience a significant decrease in semen volume. Older men can also take longer to conceive a child.
Age and sperm
Men younger than 40 have a better chance of fathering a child than those older than 40. The quality of the sperm men produce seems to decline as they get older. Most men make millions of new sperm every day, but men older than 40 have fewer healthy sperm than younger men.
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.
Signs of healthy sperm include having an appropriate pH balance (usually between 7.2- 8.0), a normal sperm count (at least 15 million per mL), normal motility (the ability to swim properly) and adequate morphology (the shape of the head and tail).
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.
An analysis published in Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience found that many women and couples experiencing infertility do not share their story with friends or family and feel isolated, ashamed, and guilty.