Male infertility is a man’s inability to produce enough sperm and/or that is viable, that is, able to fertilize the egg and cause a pregnancy. Men’s reproductive capacity can often be influenced by lifestyle habits such as smoking, frequent alcohol consumption, overweight or illicit drug use, for example, by decreasing sperm production and quality.
Além de poder estar relacionada com os hábitos de vida, a infertilidade do homem também pode ser devida a alterações no sistema reprodutor, infecções, alterações hormonais ou genéticas, ou ser consequência da varicocele, que é um tipo de variz que surge nos testículos e que interfere diretamente na produção dos espermatozoides.
- It is important that the cause of infertility be identified so that the urologist can indicate the most appropriate treatment.
- Which may be with changes in habits.
- Use of medications.
- Hormones or surgery.
The main causes of male infertility are
Certain habits and lifestyles can decrease a man’s reproductive ability, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and being overweight, for example, as this can lead to metabolic and hormonal changes that can decrease the ability to produce sperm. In addition, often stressed men may also experience hormonal disturbances, which can interfere with reproductive capacity.
The use of injectable drugs, such as anabolic to gain muscle mass, for example, can also lead to infertility, as they can reduce the testicles and therefore decrease sperm production.
What to do: In these situations, it is important to identify what factor may be related to infertility. In the case of smoking and alcoholic beverages, it is recommended to stop drinking, while in the case of obesity a change in eating habits and physical activity is recommended, for example.
In the case of infertility associated with the use of injectable medicinal products, it is important that the drug is no longer used and your doctor recommends treatment, especially if there are other changes associated with it.
Varicocele is the most common cause of infertility in humans and corresponds to the dilation of testicular veins, which promotes blood accumulation and increased local temperature, directly interfering with sperm production. This situation is most common in the left testicle, but it can also occur only in the right testicle or reach both testicles at the same time. Learn more about varicocele
What to do: When your doctor reviews the dilation of your veins indicated by a varicocele, surgery is recommended to fix the problem. The surgery is simple and the man is discharged the same day or the day after the procedure, being able to resume his normal activities after about 1 week.
Some infections of the male reproductive system can reach the testicles and cause changes in the sperm production process and in the quality of the sperm produced, being more common due to infection with the mump virus.
In addition to mumps infertility, unidentified or treated urinary tract infections can also reach the testicle and compromise sperm production.
What to do: It is important that the cause of the infection is identified so that the most appropriate medication to treat the infection, which may be antifungal, antiviral or antibiotic. It is important that the partner of the infected man also undergoes treatment, even if he has no symptoms, to prevent recurrence of infection.
Some ejaculation-related situations, such as retrograde ejaculation or lack of ejaculation, can also cause infertility, as man cannot release sperm at orgasm or produce little or no sperm.
What to do: In these cases, treatment should be indicated by the urologist and consists of the use of drugs that favor the output of sperm, such as ephedrine or phenylpropanolamine. However, when medication treatment does not work, a sample of semen and artificial insemination may be required. Understands how changes in ejaculation are treated.
Hormonal changes, especially regarding the amount of testosterone in circulation, can also cause infertility. In addition, high prolactin production, changes in the thyroid, use of anabolic steroids, the presence of a tumor in the pituitary gland and radiation therapy can also interfere with men’s reproductive capacity.
What to do: In these cases, the doctor recommends the treatment of infertility according to the hormonal change identified and aims to regulate the amount of hormones and, therefore, promote normal sperm production.
Genetic problems mean that a man naturally has no sperm in his sperm or produces sperm in very small amounts, so the woman’s egg is not fertilized.
How to treat it: When infertility is due to genetic changes, the option for the couple to become pregnant is to use assisted reproductive techniques, in which sperm are removed directly from the testicles by a needle and then placed in the woman’s uterus for fertilization. Another alternative is to perform so-called in vitro fertilization, in which the man’s sperm attaches to the woman’s egg in the laboratory, forming an embryo that is then placed in the woman’s uterus.
The main test to evaluate and diagnose male infertility is the sperm count, which should be recommended by the urologist, and which aims to evaluate the quantity and quality of sperm produced. This test is performed on the basis of laboratory analysis of a semen sample to be taken the same day in the laboratory after masturbation. Understand how the spermogram is manufactured.
In addition to the spermogram, your doctor may order more tests to identify the cause of infertility. Thus, testosterone, thyroid hormone and prolactin dosage, urine test, type 1 urine test and urinary microbiological test, pelvic ultrasound to evaluate the male reproductive tract and physical examination may be indicated. which is particularly important for the diagnosis of varicocele.
See other tests that evaluate fertility.