Male Infertility- It Doesn’t Mean Loss Of Your Manhood

When someone talks about infertility most people initially assume that it is the female in the relationship. Did you know that each year there are 2 million cases of infertility reported in men? Out of all of the cases reported each year for both. 35% of those can be attributed to the male and 55% to the female. It normally occurs in men when the sperm are abnormal. Either having too few sperm, sperm that swim too slowly, or problems with ejaculation. No one knows why, but many researchers agree that sperm counts have been declining for decades. This potentially due to the our exposure to environmental hazards and toxins of our time. Even chemicals from normal everyday plastics have been reported to have caused reproductive damage.If you and your partner have been trying to become pregnant for more than 12 months without any success, it’s time to make an appointment with your doctor. You will first want to ensure that there is not an underlying infection standing in your way. A clean bill of health with get you off to a great start. Next you will want to have a semen analysis done. Your doctor will look at different measurements during the test. Sperm count should be 20 million per ml or more. Your doctor will also observe the swimming ability of your sperm and the number of abnormal forms present.If your sperm are abnormal it may be caused by inflammation of the testicles, abnormally developed testicles, or swollen veins in the scrotum. If the results show that your sperm count is low it can be caused by several different factors. Use of alcohol or tobacco, wearing restrictive underwear, or a hormone disorder are only a few of the reasons why your sperm count may be low.Sometimes you may find that you have a problem with ejaculation. Premature ejaculation, retrograde ejaculation, or erection dysfunction can all prohibit the sperm from reaching the cervix. Did you know that an oral bacteria can cause an infection in the male reproductive system that can lead to problems with fertility? Here’s a good reason to see your dentist on a regular basis.Generally infertility is treated by taking antibiotics to remove any infections. Taking medicine to increase sperm production, or hormones to help with any imbalance. Unfortunately there is normally nothing you can do to prevent male infertility that is caused by genetic problems or an illness. However there are some things you can do to decrease your chances of experiencing infertility issues. Keep yourself healthy. Eat properly, exercise regularly, and take vitamins. Avoid caffeine. One cup of coffee can decrease your fertility by 50%. Avoid long hot baths or showers. Wear loose fitting underwear so your testicles remain unrestricted.Find a support group in your area. Hearing that other people are experiencing the same issues can help with th emotional side of infertility.

A large study was undertaken in 2004 that shows sperm counts have fallen by almost a third since 1989. It has also been said that British men fare quite badly on the European stakes when it comes to sperm count, with Finland being shown as having the best.

Infertility affects around one in 25 men, however when a couple are diagnosed as being infertile the thoughts as to why often fall straight away on the woman even though infertility problems are equal in both men and women. 30% to 40% of problems are caused by male conditions and 30% to 40% of problems are caused by female conditions, with the last 20% to 30% being a combination of the two.

The top causes of male infertility are low sperm count, slow sperm movement and abnormal morphology (the shape and size of the sperm) as well as problems with semen.

Around 200 million sperm are mixed with semen to form ejaculation. In most men 15 to 45 million of these sperm are healthy enough to fertilise an egg even though only 400 survive ejaculation and only 40 actually reach the egg and then one lone sperm goes on to fertilise the egg. This can be seen as one of the reasons as to why it can take some couples up to two years to conceive.

In order to ensure a healthy sperm count there are certain lifestyle changes that can be made in order to increase your chance of fertility. Examples of these are stop smoking, there is a link between smoking and a low sperm count, decrease drinking, watch your weight as being under or over weight could have affects on your sperm count and exercise in moderation as excessive exercise could reduce your sperm count. Also working within certain professions could actually affect your fertility. If you work in construction, landscaping or in agriculture then you could be exposed to toxins. Regular contact with toxins and poisons can serious increase your risk of infertility.

There are many factors that can cause males to experience infertility problems such as a low sperm count, examples of these are:

• Obstructive problems (blockages in the sperm carrying tubes) - such as Groin surgery, trauma to the scrotum sack covering the testicles or sexually transmitted disease such as Chlamydia

• Testicular injury or disease - A blow to the testicles, which may occur in sport or during a fight, can cause swelling of the testicles, or bleeding in or around them, twisting of a testicle on its cord and Mumps, however this will only affect fertility if it causes orchitis and, even then, only rarely.

• Sperm disorders ‘ such as disorders of the sperm count, movement and shape.

• Genetic disorders - problems with chromosomes (packages of genetic material) occur in about 2 to 20 per cent of infertile men

• Problems with erection/ejaculation ‘ this refers to aspects such as failure to ejaculate, premature ejaculation or a condition known as erectile dysfunction, which is when there is an inability to attain or maintain an erection adequate for intercourse

• Hormonal problems - Testosterone deficiency can reduce fertility and may be caused by problems with testicular testosterone production, or problems with the pituitary gland or hypothalamus in the brain, which control testosterone production.

Male infertility as well as female infertility can be helped through fertility treatment such as fertility drugs and IVF treatment.

When you are a man and you and your partner have decided that you are ready to start trying for a baby then there is a few things you can do to increase your chances to conceive. You need to increase your sperm, its quality, and its motility (activity), as well as a whole host of other things to consider.

Eat healthy, cut out the junk foods and do some light exercises. To increase sperm and sperm quality and sperm motility you should try these easy to follow simple steps. Avoid hot baths and avoid hot showers. Drink decaffeinated tea or coffees and cut down on smoking. Limit making love to every other day and/ or concentrate on having sex to centre on the timing of your partners most fertile time according to her ovulation calendar. Might be a good idea to have a fertility test and have your semen tested for quality and motility. See your local Doctor for further information on having a free male fertility test.

If you believe you may suffer from male infertility then it is best to first have a male infertility test done from your doctor or a fertility clinic. There are many over the counter male and female fertility tests available for affordable prices. They are not 100% accurate fertility tests but they may push things in the right direction. Even if you do strongly feel that you are infertile or have a low sperm count then there are many options available including IVF, Surrogate partners, adoption, treatments to increase sperm counts, etc.