INFERTILITY LINE

In the US, of the 6 million people affected by infertility today, about 40 per cent of these are men. The cause of male infertility could be attributed to a number of factors but the two best known are azoospermia and oligospermia. The former is when no sperm cells are produced and the latter is when very few sperm cells are produced. Genetic disorders are also attributed to the cause of male infertility but these are rare.

It's interesting to look at a study conducted in 2001 and some of the reasons give for the cause of male infertility:

Vasectomy – 56% of men who participated in the study were seeking to reverse the procedure

Varicocele – 14% of men in the study had this as main reason of cause of male infertility

Absence of sperm - This was found as cause of male infertility in 6% of men who took part in the study.

Eight percent of the study sample could not cite a specific reason for their infertility.

Age is another factor of male infertility. In an early study, it was determined that sperm quantity and quality do not decline until the age of 64 and another study showed that the infertility rates registered were in men under the age of 39. Genetic defects in sperm have been another factor worth taking in consideration which has seen an increase in advanced age men. There are also these reasons to consider:

Low sperm count - Almost all major physical or mental or emotional stress can cause low sperm count.

Emotional stress – This interferes with the GnRH hormone and results in low sperm count.

Sexual issues - In almost 1% of cases that have been registered with impotence and premature ejaculation are due to problems in the relationship.

Testicular overheating - overheating can be caused by saunas, fever or a hot tub; they can temporarily cause the sperm count to be low and are thus a cause of male infertility.

Drug abuse – heavy use of marijuana, cocaine and smoking can be as well a temporary cause of low sperm count.

It should also be mentioned that malnutrition or nutrient deficiencies as well as obesity can all contribute to low sperm count leading to a cause of male infertility.

As you can see, that is quite a list of reasons but if there is any good news to report it's that the cause of male infertility in a lot cases can be detected and also treated. Infertility is an issue that affects both men and women and when it's detected in either partner, it can cause a rollercoaster of emotion. For men, the inability to produce fertile sperm probably isn't an issue until it's crunch time and can often leave a man feeling a little incomplete.