Tanwir Ahmed Medical & IVF Center

Follow us

Male Subfertility and Its Causes

Male Subfertility and Its Causes

Male Subfertility and Its Causes

Once a male partner has a problem with his reproductive system that cannot start a pregnancy with the female partner refers to Male subfertility. While both environmental & social factors are behind part of the increase in the number of patients with subfertility. Male infertility is usually due to inadequacy in semen.

Risk factors for men regarding Subfertility:

Risk factors linked to male infertility include:

  • Being overweight (Obesity)

  • Having experienced trauma to the testicles

  • Using Alcohol

  • Patients undergoing medical treatments, such as surgery/radiation used for cancer treatment

  • Having certain past or present infections

  • Being exposed to toxins

  • Overheating the testicles

  • Having a history of undescended testicles

  • Smoking tobacco
Causes of male infertility symptoms?
Medical causes:

There are multiple factors that can contribute to male subfertility. This includes:

 

  1. Testicles problems: such as genetic defects, cancer, infection or any injury to the testicles.

  2. Varicocele: It is a swelling of the veins that drain the testicle which reduced the sperm quantity and quality.

  3. Tumors: Non-malignant tumors & cancers can affect the male reproductive organs directly, via the glands that release hormones related to reproduction, such as the pituitary gland.

  4. Undescended testicles: During fetal development of some males, one or both the testicles fail to descend from the abdomen into the sac that usually contains the scrotum.

  5. Hormone imbalances: Male subfertility may also happen due to hormonal imbalance such as low levels of testosterone, FSH & prolactin imbalance and low testosterone levels (which is known as hypogonadism).

  6. Chromosome defects: Such as Klinefelter’s syndrome etc.

  7. Problems with sexual intercourse: It includes premature ejaculation, painful intercourse, anatomical abnormalities and erectile dysfunction).

  8. Certain medications: Self medications can reduce the semen production.

  9. Prior surgeries: Some surgeries may prevent having sperm in the ejaculate, including testicular surgery, prostate surgeries etc.

  10. Semen Morphology: Morphology of the sperm that don’t move properly or abnormally shaped sperm.
Environmental causes:

Specific exposure to environmental elements like toxins, heat & chemicals can reduce Spermatogenesis (low sperm). Some causes include:

  • Radiation or X-rays

  • Industrial chemicals

  • Overheating the testicles.

  • Heavy metal exposure
Diagnosis of male subfertility:

The medical practitioner will review the patient’s health history and do a physical exam. To diagnose infertility issues more investigations may include:

  • Seminology/Semen analysis): Semen samples should be done with three days of abstinence.
  • Blood tests: The doctor will advise some blood tests to check hormone levels to rule out other issues.
  • Testicular biopsy: If the Sperm report shows few sperm / no sperm, the consultant may remove a small piece of tissue (biopsy) from each testicle and then the sample will be checked under the microscope in the andrology lab.
  • Other tests: There are some more tests advised by the consultant to diagnose the cause of Semen defects or health problems of the male reproductive system. Scrotal ultrasound may be used to look at testicles, blood vessels, and structures inside the scrotum.

Written by:

Written by:

Dr. Wajid Butt

Male Subfertility and Its Causes

Once a male partner has a problem with his reproductive system that cannot start a pregnancy with the female partner refers to Male subfertility. While both environmental & social factors are behind part of the increase in the number of patients with subfertility. Male infertility is usually due to inadequacy in semen.

Risk factors for men regarding Subfertility:

Risk factors linked to male infertility include:

  • Being overweight (Obesity)

  • Having experienced trauma to the testicles

  • Using Alcohol

  • Patients undergoing medical treatments, such as surgery/radiation used for cancer treatment

  • Having certain past or present infections

  • Being exposed to toxins

  • Overheating the testicles

  • Having a history of undescended testicles

  • Smoking tobacco
Causes of male infertility symptoms?
Medical causes:

There are multiple factors that can contribute to male subfertility. This includes:

 

  1. Testicles problems: such as genetic defects, cancer, infection or any injury to the testicles.

  2. Varicocele: It is a swelling of the veins that drain the testicle which reduced the sperm quantity and quality.

  3. Tumors: Non-malignant tumors & cancers can affect the male reproductive organs directly, via the glands that release hormones related to reproduction, such as the pituitary gland.

  4. Undescended testicles: During fetal development of some males, one or both the testicles fail to descend from the abdomen into the sac that usually contains the scrotum.

  5. Hormone imbalances: Male subfertility may also happen due to hormonal imbalance such as low levels of testosterone, FSH & prolactin imbalance and low testosterone levels (which is known as hypogonadism).

  6. Chromosome defects: Such as Klinefelter’s syndrome etc.

  7. Problems with sexual intercourse: It includes premature ejaculation, painful intercourse, anatomical abnormalities and erectile dysfunction).

  8. Certain medications: Self medications can reduce the semen production.

  9. Prior surgeries: Some surgeries may prevent having sperm in the ejaculate, including testicular surgery, prostate surgeries etc.

  10. Semen Morphology: Morphology of the sperm that don’t move properly or abnormally shaped sperm.
Environmental causes:

Specific exposure to environmental elements like toxins, heat & chemicals can reduce Spermatogenesis (low sperm). Some causes include:

  • Radiation or X-rays

  • Industrial chemicals

  • Overheating the testicles.

  • Heavy metal exposure
Diagnosis of male subfertility:

The medical practitioner will review the patient’s health history and do a physical exam. To diagnose infertility issues more investigations may include:

  • Seminology/Semen analysis): Semen samples should be done with three days of abstinence.
  • Blood tests: The doctor will advise some blood tests to check hormone levels to rule out other issues.
  • Testicular biopsy: If the Sperm report shows few sperm / no sperm, the consultant may remove a small piece of tissue (biopsy) from each testicle and then the sample will be checked under the microscope in the andrology lab.
  • Other tests: There are some more tests advised by the consultant to diagnose the cause of Semen defects or health problems of the male reproductive system. Scrotal ultrasound may be used to look at testicles, blood vessels, and structures inside the scrotum.

Written by:

Written by:

Dr. Wajid Butt