What is male infertility? What are its symptoms and causes?

What is male infertility?

When a couple has problems conceiving, both the man and the woman generally undergo fertility tests to determine the source of the problem and the treatment to follow. In those cases in which the man is the one that has problems conceiving, it is diagnosed as male infertility.

Symptoms that may indicate infertility

In most cases there are no evident signs, because intercourse, erection and ejaculation usually take place normally. However, some symptoms associated with this issue are:

 

 

  • Pain or swelling of the testicular region
  • Abnormal mammary growth, known as gynecomastia
  • Reduction of facial or body hair
  • Recurrent respiratory infections

In order to determine with absolute certainty whether a man can conceive, he should undergo specific medical exams in specialized clinics that perform comprehensive diagnoses.

Main causes of male infertility

  • Sperm production problems. Decrease in the number and/or quality of spermatozoa, low sperm count in the semen or abnormal sperm motility are some of the most common problems.
  • Varicocele. These are swollen veins in the scrotum that hinder the growth of spermatozoa, since they block blood drainage. This leads testicles to have a higher than usual temperature, which may cause a reduction in the number of spermatozoa.
  • Chromosome disorders. Changes in the number and structure of the chromosomes may interfere with fertility in men.
  • Obstructions. Swelling, recurrent infections or development defects are some of the reasons why sperm may not exit the body during ejaculation.
  • Hormonal problems. Some of them are caused as a result of abusing anabolic steroids, the presence of hypophysis tumors and a congenital lack of LH/FSH; in other words, a birth defect in the pituitary gland.

Identifying the cause of male infertility is the first step toward finding an adequate solution. If you believe that you have trouble conceiving, we recommend that you get in touch with your team of specialists.

If you want more information regarding male infertility, you can contact us via telephone at +965 969 38 400 and by e-mail at info@pgdlabs.com