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

The main sign of male infertility is the inability to conceive a child. There may be no other obvious signs or symptoms.

In some cases, however, an underlying problem such as an inherited disorder, hormonal imbalance, dilated veins around the testicle or a condition that blocks the passage of sperm causes signs and symptoms.

Signs and symptoms, you may notice include:

• Problems with sexual function — for example, difficulty with ejaculation or small volumes of fluid ejaculated,
  reduced sexual desire, or difficulty maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction)
• YPain, swelling or a lump in the testicle area
• YRecurrent respiratory infections
• YInability to smell
• YAbnormal breast growth (gynecomastia)
• YDecreased facial or body hair or other signs of a chromosomal or hormonal abnormality
• YA lower than normal sperm count (fewer than 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen or a total sperm count of less than 39 million per ejaculate)

Risk factors

Risk factors linked to male infertility include:

• YSmoking tobacco
• YUsing alcohol
• YUsing certain illicit drugs
• YBeing overweight
• YHaving certain past or present infections
• YBeing exposed to toxins
• YOverheating the testicles
• YHaving experienced trauma to the testicles
• YHaving a history of undescended testicles
• YBeing born with a fertility disorder or having a blood relative with a fertility disorder
• YHaving certain medical conditions, including tumors and chronic illnesses, such as sickle cell disease
• YTaking certain medications or undergoing medical treatments, such as surgery or radiation used for treating cancer

Storage of your semen can be viewed as a form of biological insurance. Frozen sperm may be thawed and used at a future time to have children if you become unable to naturally produce semen.

Sperm freezing

This is a non-invasive procedure where you masturbate and ejaculate semen into a cup. You give the cup to your provider for freezing and storage. If you’re unable to produce a specimen due to illness, anxiety, pain or cultural or religious reasons, your provider can help using:

• Medication :These include several types of drugs that can help you ejaculate or correct problems preventing ejaculation.
• Vibratory stimulation: Vibration can help trigger ejaculation.
• Electroejaculation Your provider guides a probe into your rectum. The probe stimulates your prostate with a mild electrical current that causes you to ejaculate. This is done under anaesthesia.
• Age If you’re waiting to have children, you may consider preserving your eggs or sperm before fertility declines. Common reasons people delay having children include desires to reach a certain career goal, further their education or wanting to meet the right partner.
• Pre-Vasectomy Those men undergoing a vasectomy may wish to store samples of their semen prior to the surgery. Doing this may allow a man who has been sterilized to have children without the need to undergo an invasive re-attachment procedure.
• Testicular or Prostate diseases or surgeries Patients diagnosed with these ailments or those who are about to undergo these surgeries may choose to store their sperm. These diseases and surgeries may result in infertility, so storage may be a good option.
• Chemotherapy or Radiation Therapy: Cancer patients who are about to undergo, or are undergoing, these therapies may choose to store their sperm. These treatments may render a man infertile, so storing sperm while it is viable may be a good option.
• Autoimmune diseases Diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis and their treatments may cause fertility problems.
• Prior to an insemination procedure Storing semen prior to an assisted reproductive procedure makes the needed sperm available on an "on call" basis and in known quantities. This makes the arrival time and the amount of sperm known, which may lead to a better fertility outcome. Examples of such procedures are... (AI) artificial insemination; (IUI) intrauterine insemination; (IVF) In Vitro Fertilization; (GIFT) Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer; (ZIFT) Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer; (ICSI) Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection.
• Directed Donors: Couples who are going to use a known third-party donor for fertility treatments may wish to store several samples. This will help them build up an ample store of sperm. This will ensure that each fertility procedure has a timely and adequate number of sperms.
• High Risk Occupational Exposures Some studies have indicated that on-the-job exposure to hazardous materials may contribute to male infertility. People working in these areas may consider banking a good option.
• Oligospermia (low sperm count) Patients: Pooling multiple low-count samples can create one, larger sample that can be used for insemination. This may aid in creating a successful pregnancy