So you've been trying to have a baby for more than a year now, and you have not gotten the results you expected. You have been tested and inspected, and according to the doctors, your uterus and eggs are fine, and you should be conceiving with the best of them. He then asks you if you have explored the possibility of male sterility: perhaps your partner's sperm does not have reproductive abilities. You now are armed with the task of learning about male sterility.
Definition
Male sterility is the inability to impregnate a woman after a year of trying to conceive. According to UrologyChannel.com, male sterility can be either voluntary (getting a vasectomy to prevent unwanted pregnancy), or the result of illness, trauma, a genetic disorder or sexual dysfunction. Some sterility is temporary until the issue is addressed, and some may be permanent. An individual sperm takes about two months to form, so illness or trauma may affect a man's ability to conceive with his partner for a period after the illness or trauma is resolved as sperm in the early stages of development at the time may also have been affected.
Diagnosis
According the National Institute of Health, approximately 1/3 of the more than 2 million couples who can't conceive are suffering from a case of male infertility. Of these men, about half are suffering from a permanent inability to conceive. Diagnosis begins with an extensive study of the man's medical history to see if there is a prominent illness or trauma that might result in infertility. This is followed by an examination of the penis and testes for any visible irregularities, and is then finalized with an analysis of the sperm.
Analysis
Semen analysis will exam the sperm for a variety of infertility factors. Some of the reasons for male sterility include Azoospermia, which is the absence of sperm in male ejaculate. This may be due to a lack of sperm-producing tissue, or because an obstruction blocks sperm from joining the ejaculate. The consistency of semen fluid may also be a factor. Abnormally thick semen may not swim as quickly through the vaginal canal, and may diminish the ability for the sperm to fertilize the egg. Some men are also affected by abnormally developed sperm. Abnormal sperm development can mean that sperm have multiple heads or tails, are disfigured or are underdeveloped. A man is considered sterile if 60 percent or more of his sperm are abnormally shaped.
Treatment
About half the cases of male sterility are treatable, and treatments include assisted reproduction, drug therapy and surgery. Assisted reproduction includes methods that concern erectile dysfunction, induced ejaculation and sperm retrieval for in vitro or manual egg fertilization. Drug therapies involve prescriptions that help a man increase sperm production, address hormonal imbalances and treat illnesses or other conditions affecting sperm fertility. Surgery is used to treat cases of infertility due to an obstruction.
Vasectomy
Male sterility may also be voluntary. A vasectomy is a surgical procedure that prevents sperm from entering the semen, thus ending a man's ability to fertilize a woman's egg. A vasectomy is a voluntary procedure for men who are certain they do not want more children. Many couples opt for vasectomies because they are much less invasive that procedures available for women, and because unlike most female procedures, many times a vasectomy can be reversed.
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