Male infertility means a man is not able to start a pregnancy with his female partner. Male infertility can have many causes. You may not make enough sperm or healthy sperm. You may have a genetic problem like cystic fibrosis. You may have a blockage in your genital tract.
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.
Male infertility can be caused by low sperm production, abnormal sperm function or blockages that prevent the delivery of sperm. Illnesses, injuries, chronic health problems, lifestyle choices and other factors may contribute to male infertility.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Male infertility means a man is not able to start a pregnancy with his female partner.
Azoospermia Treatments
Even men who have low sperm production as a cause of no sperm in the ejaculate can be treated with surgery to find sperm, together with assisted reproduction, since several million sperm have to be made in the testicles before sperm survive to make it into the semen.
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.
In 85% to 90% of cases, infertility is treated with conventional medical therapies, such as medication or surgery. If fertility treatments are unsuccessful, it is possible to use eggs or sperm donated by a third party or to have another woman carry a fetus. Select a category of treatment to learn more.
Fertility is most likely if the semen discharged in a single ejaculation (ejaculate) contains at least 15 million sperm per milliliter. Too little sperm in an ejaculation might make it more difficult to get pregnant because there are fewer candidates available to fertilize the egg.
The answer is yes. Men with no sperm in their ejaculate, who likely have a problem with sperm production can achieve pregnancy. All this is possible thanks to modern assisted reproductive techniques such as IVF and ICSI.
What color is semen after a vasectomy? Your semen will look just like it did before your vasectomy. Usually, semen has the consistency of thin mucus and a clear, gray, or white, opalescent color. Since the sperm makes up a very small volume of the semen, you won't notice a change in the amount you ejaculate.
Semen is typically a thick, white fluid, but it can vary in color and consistency. Watery semen can occur due to low sperm count, lifestyle factors, and nutritional deficiencies.
Yet while infertility can be a stressor on a relationship, many aspects can actually help strengthen it, but it takes work by both partners. By approaching the process as a team, and keeping things in perspective, you can keep your relationship healthy while coping with infertility.
Very strong smell: Bacteria and other germs can change the way semen smells. If semen has a foul and overpowering odor or gets worse with time, it may be a sign of an infection or sexually transmitted disease. Sweet smell: Normal semen can smell slightly sweet because of the fructose it contains.
While there is no definite age at which male ejaculation ceases, it has been suggested that it may happen when a man reaches his late 40s or early 50s. It is important to note, however, that this is not a universal rule and some men may continue to ejaculate at a later age.