You may have male infertility if your female partner has not become pregnant after you have tried for 1 year. This means 1 year of regular sex without any birth control. Your healthcare provider will test both you and your partner to find the cause of infertility.
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.
In most cases, several semen analysis tests are done over a period of time to ensure accurate results. If your sperm analysis is normal, your doctor will likely recommend thorough testing of your female partner before conducting any more male infertility tests.
The main symptom of infertility is not getting pregnant. There may be no other obvious symptoms. Sometimes, women with infertility may have irregular or absent menstrual periods. In some cases, men with infertility may have some signs of hormonal problems, such as changes in hair growth or sexual function.
With an at-home test, you will collect a sample of semen and either use a home analyzer device or send the sample to a lab that can assess the sperm within that sample for these key metrics. However, there are many other factors that can affect fertility, such as hormones, including testosterone.
You must use the home kit provided. Another way to test your sperm count is using a device called SpermCheck male fertility. It is fairly easy to use and to find out one's sperm count in 30 minutes. It looks somewhat like a female pregnancy test wherein you place your sample using a dropper in the testing device.
You could be worrying that you never will. However, there are many possible reasons why you aren't conceiving, including ovulation irregularities, structural problems in the reproductive system, low sperm count, underlying medical problems, or simply not trying enough.
Risk factors
age – fertility declines with age. weight – being overweight or obese (having a BMI of 30 or over) reduces fertility; in women, being overweight or severely underweight can affect ovulation. sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – several STIs, including chlamydia, can affect fertility.
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.
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. In one-third of infertile couples, the problem can't be identified or is with both the man and woman.
From a biological standpoint, experts recommend a man is best suited to fatherhood from his late 20s to early 30s. It is still possible for men to father a child in their 50s and older.
Although most men are able to have children well into their 50s and beyond, it becomes gradually more difficult after the age of 40 . There are many reasons for this, including: Sperm quality tends to decrease with age.
excessive alcohol consumption, smoking and using drugs such as marijuana or cocaine. certain medications, including testosterone replacement therapy, long-term anabolic steroid use, cancer medications (chemotherapy), some antibiotics and some antidepressants. being overweight or obese.
Male factor infertility can be caused by sperm with an abnormal shape or size. Abnormally shaped sperm can prevent normal motility and egg penetration, which results in infertility. Common sperm abnormalities include sperm with an overly large or too-small, tapered, or crooked heads, two heads, or a tail with kinks.
Some common reasons include stress, not timing baby-making sex with ovulation, residual effects of hormonal birth control, and certain health conditions. As much as we may try, pregnancy really can't really be planned—but you can increase your chances by being aware of common pitfalls.
That said, the majority of couples will conceive within 1 year of trying. It is possible but less common to conceive in the first month or within 6 months. A couple looking to conceive should track ovulation and have regular vaginal intercourse in the days leading up to ovulation.
Lots of factors can cause fertility problems, including: hormonal (endocrine) disorders, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and problems with the thyroid or pituitary glands. physical disorders, such as obesity, anorexia nervosa or excessive exercise.
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.
Having healthy sperm improves the chances of falling pregnant and the health of the baby. Sperm health is assessed by measuring 3 things: your sperm count, how your sperm move and their shape. If you and your partner are having trouble getting pregnant, your doctor may recommend a sperm test, known as semen analysis.
Normal semen is generally a clear, white, or gray color. Changes in its color may be temporary and may resolve without medical treatment. However, if people experience changes in semen that do not go away or come with other symptoms, such as infection or inflammation, they should seek medical attention.
Will this effect my chances? No, masturbating won't cause you to have a low sperm count or affect your ability to have children. Masturbating is normal and healthy. And it's totally okay to masturbate a lot – even more than once a day.