According to research, nearly one in seven couples are infertile. That means that they cannot conceive a child even if they have had frequent, unprotected sexual intercourse for more than a year. In these cases, male infertility plays a partial role.

Male infertility is usually caused by low sperm production, abnormal sperm function, or blockages that lead to preventing the delivery of sperm. Sometimes, lifestyle choices, illness, injury, or chronic health problems also contribute to male infertility problems.

The Gynaecology & Obstetrics Hospital in Delhi understands that inability to conceive a child can be stressful and frustrating, but worry not, because there are many treatments available for male infertility.

 

What causes male infertility?

In most cases of male infertility, doctors cannot identify an exact cause. Infertility is caused due to various reasons:

•    Environmental causes such as excessive heat

•    Drugs, such as certain antibiotics and anabolic steroids, prescription medicines, alcohol, marijuana.

•    Toxicants, such as herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals, lead, mercury, or paint

•    Stress

•    Excess exercise, including bicycling

•    Chronic diseases, such as anaemia, malnutrition, cancer, neurological disease, or diabetes

•    Dietary deficiencies, such as vitamin C, zinc, folic acid

•    Varicocele, a condition in which the veins swell inside the scrotum

•    Diseases of the male genital tract, such as cancer, infection, trauma, or retrograde ejaculation

•    Surgery on the male genital tract

•    Obesity

•    Genetic Causes

 

How is Male Infertility Diagnosed?

The doctors from the male infertility treatment hospital in Delhi will conduct various tests to determine the cause of infertility.

Some of these tests are:

•     General physical examination and medical history are questioned to look for any chronic health illness, injuries, surgeries, etc.

•    Semen analysis to look for any abnormalities in shape (morphology) and movement (motility) of the sperm. Also, semen will be evaluated for infection.

•   Scrotal ultrasound: High-frequency sound waves are produced to depict images inside the body. This will help the doctor to look out for any varicocele or other problems in the testicles and supporting structures.

•     Transrectal ultrasound. The doctor will check the prostate to find out the blockages of the tube that carry semen.

•     Hormone testing. A blood test will determine the level of testosterone and other hormones.

•    Post-ejaculation urinalysis. This assesses whether your sperm are travelling backward into the bladder instead of out your penis during ejaculation.

•     Genetic tests to determine any genetic abnormality 

•     A testicular biopsy involves taking samples from the testicle with a needle. These tests determine if the cause of infertility is due to any blockage or another problem with sperm transport.

•    Specialized sperm function tests to check how well your sperm survive after ejaculation and whether there's any problem attaching to the egg.

 

What is the Treatment for Male Infertility?

In the case of infertility, the doctor may even recommend that your female partner should get checked. Or you may even learn more about the assisted reproductive techniques which could be appropriate to your situation.

Treatments for male infertility are:

•   Surgery: The cause for infertility due to varicocele can often be surgically corrected or an obstructed vas deferens repaired. Vasectomies performed can also be reversed. With the help of sperm retrieval techniques, sperm can often be retrieved directly from the testicles or epididymis.

•     Treating infections: Antibiotics could cure some reproductive tract infections, but these methods don't always restore fertility.

•    Treatments for sexual intercourse problems: Medication or counselling can help you improve fertility in conditions such as premature ejaculation or erectile dysfunction.

•   Hormone treatments and medications: If the infertility is caused by high or low levels of certain hormones or problems with the way the body utilizes hormones, the doctor may suggest you go for hormone replacement or prescribe some medications.

•   Assisted reproductive technology (ART): ART treatments involve getting sperm through surgical extraction, normal ejaculation, or donor individuals, depending on your unique case and preferences. The sperm are later injected into the female genital tract or needed to perform in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

 

If the treatment doesn't work, the best doctors in Delhi might recommend that you and your partner consider using sperm from a donor or adopting a child.