Some couples have a hard time getting pregnant. A couple is considered to have infertility issues when they try for a year without success.
There was a time when people thought infertility was only a woman’s problem. But men can have fertility problems, too. When a couple is having a hard time getting pregnant, it is just as likely to be caused by a problem with male fertility as it is with female fertility.
When a couple has a problem achieving pregnancy, it’s estimated that about
40% it’s due to a problem with the man’s fertility
40% it’s due to a problem with the woman’s fertility
20% it’s due to a problem with both the woman’s and the man’s fertility, or a cause cannot be found for the problem
That’s why both the woman and the man usually get tested for fertility problems when a couple is having infertility problems.
When Should Get Help for Male Infertility?
It can take up to a year for a woman to get pregnant. This is considered normal. Most health care providers suggest waiting a year before seeking infertility testing. If you and your partner have been trying to get pregnant for more than a year, it may be time to see your health care provider.
Some health problems may reduce a man’s ability to get a woman pregnant.
What Causes Male Infertility?
The most common causes of male infertility are related to sperm — usually problems with sperm count and the quality of that sperm. Sperm-related problems include
- low sperm count
- sperm that don’t move quickly enough — they die before they reach the egg
- sperm that are not formed correctly
- seminal fluid that is too thick — sperm can’t move around in it very easily
- no sperm
Sperm-related problems may result from too much or too little of some of the hormones that guide sperm making.
Another cause of male infertility is a problem with ejaculation. In some cases, tubes inside the male reproductive organs are blocked. If so, men may have a hard time ejaculating, or nothing comes out when men have an orgasm. Sometimes, the ejaculation goes backward from the prostate into the bladder instead of out of the body.
In some cases, there is no known reason for someone’s infertility. This is called unexplained infertility. This can be a very frustrating diagnosis. But even if men are diagnosed with unexplained male infertility, there still are treatment options to consider.
Testing for male infertility usually begins with a health care provider doing a physical exam and asking about medical history.
men will be asked to give a seman
sample so that sperm and seminal fluid can be examined. This is called a semen analysis. The semen sample will be examined for
- the amount of seminal fluid
- the sperm count — how many sperm there are
- how quickly the sperm move
- the size, shape, and appearance of sperm
Problems with any of these factors can make it more difficult to get a woman pregnant.
Mean may also have a blood test to find out if there are any hormone problems.
