About 8% of couples attempting to have children face some problems. As a rule, there are no special symptoms of infertility, and usually with the sexual life of the spouses everything is in order. But, if the pregnancy does not occur for a long time (up to 12 months), it is better for spouses to seek medical help. In the inability to leave behind the posterity can be equally "guilty" for both the woman and the man.
Infertility can be either primary or secondary. About secondary infertility in men and women can be said if the couple already had a successful case of conception, regardless of the outcome of pregnancy. In the absence of such experience, infertility is considered primary.
In this article we will consider such issues as signs of infertility in men and its types, find out how to test a man for infertility, and also find out whether the problem is solved in principle.
Causes of male infertility
Infertility in men is the inability to fertilize a female germ cell (egg). The reasons for this may be as follows:
- decrease in the activity and quantity of spermatozoa in the seminal fluid until they are completely absent;
- sexual dysfunction (erectile dysfunction and ejaculation);
- infectious diseases, transmitted sexually (infertility in this case is caused by inflammation of the organs of the reproductive system - the urethra, prostate, testicles). Also, infertility in men may be a complication after mumps (mumps), in which there is a strong inflammation of the testicles (orchitis);
- anatomical, including genetic changes in the structure of the male genital organs;
- endocrine disorders - a violation of the hormonal background, a decrease in the level of sex hormones;
- abuse of bad habits. As you know, smoking and excessive use of alcohol and drugs has a direct impact on the quality and activity of spermatozoa;
- the immunological factor of infertility in men - the formation of so-called antibodies that prevent spermatozoa from performing their functions;
- psychological infertility, which can develop due to subconscious fear of childbirth, heavy memories of one's own childhood, etc.
Analyzes for infertility in men
To find out which of these reasons prevents a young man from becoming a father, it is necessary to pass tests for infertility, which in men can be as follows:
- Spermogram is the first and most important analysis in infertility. It will help determine the activity and viability of spermatozoa, their ability to fertilize the egg;
- bacteriological culture - checking for all kinds of infectious diseases;
- analysis for hidden infections;
- MAR-test - the definition of antispermal bodies in seminal fluid for the diagnosis of immune infertility in men;
- analysis of the blood levels of the main hormones (testosterone, prolactin, luteinizing hormone, and thyroid hormones) that can affect reproductive function);
- ultrasound examination of the prostate.
Treatment of infertility in men
Many are interested in the question of whether infertility is treated in men. A good, qualified doctor will never give up his patient, no matter how difficult his case is.
Depending on the results of the above tests and the diagnosis, the doctor will choose the tactics of infertility treatment. Infertility can either be treated (the purpose of this is to make a man fertile, that is, capable of conceiving) or overcome (as a result, the couple will have a child, but the man will remain unable to have children without the help of doctors).
If the cause of infertility in a man lies in any infectious disease, then everything is simple: you need to cure him. Thanks to modern effective drugs, it is easy and painless. How to treat infertility in men with problems in the anatomy of the reproductive organs, the surgeon will tell. Operative intervention in most cases effectively solves this problem. More conservative treatment is hormonal therapy, which is performed in case of malfunctions with the endocrine system.
If you suspect infertility from your partner, you should immediately go through the examination and begin treatment, because with age, the man's fertility is reduced, and the chances of successful conception become less.