5 Common Causes of Male Infertility

In our everyday life male infertility can be often disregarded, especially as modern media focuses heavily on female fertility. At Dr. Jeffrey Persson we believe male infertility is equally as important for couples having difficulty conceiving, especially when it takes both man and women to initiate pregnancy. Looking at the data, 30% of fertility problems are due to female infertility reasons, 30% due to male infertility and 40% of problems are caused by a combination of reasons including both partners.  Here are 5 most common causes of male infertility:

causes-of-male-infertility

1. Lifestyle Choices

Taking on a healthier lifestyle is one of the most important and controllable ways to improve your fertility. To prevent male infertility, here are some healthier lifestyle changes to improve sperm count:

Not smoking

  • People who smoke are more likely to have fertility issues as they generally have lower sperm counts, lower sperm mobility and abnormal shaped sperm compared to non-smokers.

Drinking none or less alcohol

  • Drinking alcohol can reduce testosterone production, which consequently impacts sperm production, lowering a male’s sperm count.

Losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight

  • Overweight or obesity is linked to lower sperm count and hormone levels. In our body, fat cells create an enzyme named aromatase, its role is to break down testosterone into oestrogen. This decreases testosterone and sperm count.

Reducing stress

  • Stress can reduce sperm and semen quality. Through studies, there have been changes in the shape of sperm in a recent 2018 study.

Prevent overheating the testicles

  • Overheating the testicles is another driver of infertility in men, as use of hot tubs or saunas can temporarily lower sperm count, while frequent visits, sitting for long periods, wearing tight underwear or working with a laptop on your lap can cause infertility.

 

2. Quantity of Sperm

Males with low amounts of sperm can significantly influence a male’s fertility especially since the female’s egg will not be fertilised because of a low sperm count. A low sperm count is clinically defined as a male, who’s semen has less than 15 million sperm per millilitre. If your partner or you are worried about your sperm count, you can reach out to a fertility specialist for a quick sperm test to check your sperm count.

 

3. Quality of Sperm

The quality of your sperm can be another contributing factor to male infertility, such as abnormal sperm and sperm mobility. Slower sperm mobility can affect the quality of your sperm as it can make it difficult for the sperm to reach the egg and fertilise it. Many issues from abnormal sperm are unexplained but it can be caused by a range of issues such as abnormal shape, size and swimming speed of the sperm can make it difficult for sperm to move and fertilise an egg. A fertility specialist can check your quality of sperm through a semen analysis.

 

4. Testicular damage

Testicles house your sperm and shield the delicate cells from the outside world. Damage caused to your testicles can have a serious influence on your fertility by impacting the quantity and quality of sperm. Overheating the testicles is another serious influencer which harms the sperm quality and male infertility. Keeping your testicles cool is crucial to creating a temperature which is optimal for nurturing quality sperm. Simple things to do to help aid this include avoiding sitting down for a long time and wearing loose underwear. Other causes of testicular damage include injuries from sport, surgery, infection or undescended testicles.

 

5. Ejaculation disorder

Having issues with ejaculating can influence your fertility when your sperm cannot reach the egg to be fertilised. Ejaculatory disorders include premature ejaculation (where ejaculation happens to early), retrograde ejaculation (when semen is ejaculated into the bladder) and failure to ejaculate. If problems with ejaculating are influencing your fertility, then you can chat with a fertility specialist at Dr Jeffrey Persson.

 

If you think you might need a fertility check, maybe you and your partner have been trying to conceive for over a year with no pregnancy, our fertility specialists at Dr. Jeffrey Persson can help arrange a semen analysis or by asking your GP for advice

 

Dr. Jeffrey Persson is a leading Sydney fertility specialist and IVF Clinic in Sydney with over 35 years of experience in improving fertility and helping create families. For advice please call 8346 6800 or Contact Us.

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