JOIN USIt is the elephant in the room; something that no one wants to address — male infertility. The problem could be anything from low sperm count to low motility of sperm and abnormal sperm. Sometimes, the problem could be hormonal, genital infections or ejaculatory dysfunction. So, it’s important that men too get tested for fertility.
A semen analysis can easily be done to check the quality and quantity of the sperm in the semen sample. The analysis and sonography can detect issues such as azoospermia (zero sperm count), oligospermia (few sperms produced) and problems with sperm motility.
The good news is that it has increasingly become easier to diagnose the causes of male infertility. For instance, a DNA fragmentation test assesses the sperm and finds out if there is any DNA damage in it. The Sperm Aneuploidy Test (SAT) is a diagnostic test to study the genetic background or cause of male infertility.
Once the problem has been identified, treatment can range from hormonal treatment to Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) to intrauterine insemination. One form of treatment for low sperm count is Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), in which sperm and eggs are retrieved from both partners, and then a single sperm is injected into an egg.
If a man doesn’t have sperm in his semen — perhaps due to a blockage in the testes — doctors can retrieve sperm from the testicles. Testicular sperm extraction has a high success rate.
Stress, smoking and sedentary lifestyle are among the main causes of infertility. They can be easily addressed with a few positive changes in your life:
Don’t wait for too long to have a baby. Men also have a biological clock. The older a man is, the longer it will take to get a woman pregnant.
Try to reduce stress, whether it is by practising yoga, or focusing on exercise.
Do not take steroids.
Avoid smoking. Research has proved that smoking can reduce sperm production and even damage DNA.
If a couple has been trying to conceive for a year, and has not seen any positive
results, it is time to approach an infertility specialist.
(The author is gynaecologist & infertility specialist, Lilavati & DY Patil Hospitals, Mumbai and Fortis hospitals, New Delhi)