Male Infertility

You may have male infertility if your female partner has not become pregnant after you have tried for one year. This means one year of regular sex without any birth control.

Your healthcare provider will test both you and your partner to find the cause of infertility.

You may be more likely to experience male infertility if you have:

• Past inflammation of the prostate or past genital infections
• Injury to or twisting (torsion) of the testicles
• Early or late puberty
• Genital exposure to high temperatures
• Hernia repair
• Undescended testicles
• Diagnosed immune condition in which you make antibodies against your own sperm
• Genetic conditions, such as cystic fibrosis or hemochromatosis

You may also be at risk if you take certain prescription medicines, including those for ulcers, psoriasis, depression, and high blood pressure.

As with women, the causes of infertility in men are varied, and include genetic, infectious, congenital, diopathic and lifestyle issues. The most common male infertility factors include:

• Azoospermia (no sperm cells are produced)
• Oligospermia (few sperm cells are produced).
• Sperm cells that are malformed or die before they can reach the egg
• Infection or inflammation from a sexually transmitted disease
• Scar tissue from surgery
• Varicocele, an enlargement of veins inside the scrotum that drain the testicles that affects up to 40% of infertile men
• Rare conditions such as cystic fibrosis or a chromosomal abnormality

Your UR Medicine provider will review your health history and do a physical exam. Although it is appropriate for the initial infertility evaluation to be done by your primary care physician, if the test results are abnormal, you should be referred to a fertility specialist.

Other tests for male infertility may include:

• Sperm count (semen analysis). At least 2 semen samples are taken on separate days. Your provider will check the semen and sperm for many things. These include how much semen you make, how uniform it is, and how acidic it is. Your provider will also look at how many sperm you make, how well they move, and what shape they are.
• Blood tests. These are used to check hormone levels and rule out other problems.
• Imaging Tests. Ultrasound may be used to look at your testicles, blood vessels, and structures inside the scrotum.
• Testicular biopsy. If a semen analysis shows that you have only a few or no sperm, your provider may remove a small piece of tissue (biopsy) from each testicle.