Male Fertility & Sperm Counts

Author: Malc

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Did you know that in about forty percent of infertile couples, the cause of infertility is due to a factor involving the male partner? Ten percent factors in both the man and woman contribute to infertility.

Male infertility may be caused by a number of factors, including problems associated with sperm production, sperm transport, and sperm motility as well as anatomical problems, blockage of the vas deferens (the tube that brings the sperm from the testicle to the urethra), and infection.

Problems with sperm production result in a reduced sperm count. A reduced sperm count may be caused by a number of factors, including hormonal changes, medications, drug use, alcohol use, excessive caffeine, cigarette smoking and testicular injury.

These same factors might also cause a lowered motility. Motility is determined by the percentage of sperm that are moving or swimming. Many infertile men are obsessed about their sperm count, which results as the main concern in their lives. Fertility is the most important thing on their minds.

Remember that the real question the man with a fertility problem is asking is not: What is my sperm count or motility or whatever? Rather, "Are my sperm capable of working or not? Can I have a baby with my sperm?" Since the function of the sperm is to fertilize the egg, the only direct way of answering this question is by actually testing for fertilization.

No one really knows what a normal sperm count really is. Since you only need one "good" sperm to fertilize an egg, there isn't a simple answer to question. While the lower limit of normal is considered to be 10 million progressively motile sperm per ml, remember that this is a statistical average.

For example, most doctors have had the experience of a man with a very low sperm count (as little as 2-5 million per ml) fathering a pregnancy on his own, with no treatment. In fact, when a sperm count is done for men who are undergoing a vasectomy for family planning, these men of proven fertility have a sperm count varying anywhere from 2 million to 300 million per ml. This obviously means that there is a significant variation in "fertile" sperm counts, and therefore coming to conclusions is very difficult for the doctor let alone the patient.

Men usually don't know that they have a problem until they are trying to father a child. So most men who don't want to be a father, don't find out that they have a fertility issue and are unaware of it. That's where sperm fertility tests come into play. They are fast, screening tests designed to assist the physician in the identification of males with potential fertility problems. These sperm tests allow you to test your fertility potential conveniently and reliably in the privacy of your home so fertility problems can be identified and treated appropriately.

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