Extreme Male Factor Infertility

Expecting family growth is exciting, but trying to get pregnant without success is a frustrating experience. After a year of continuous sexual intercourse (six months for women over 35) and no pregnancy, it may be time to check the fertility of both parties. Pearl Women's Hospital has the best and highly experienced doctors who provides Female & Male infertility Treatment in Pune.

Approximately 15% of couples of childbearing age are affected by infertility. For various reasons, your fertility may be affected. For example, sometimes women experience ovulation problems or men have low sperm counts. Often, tests show that your inability to conceive is related to more than one factor. Of course, a conclusive diagnosis requires both parties to be tested.

Symptoms

The main sign of male infertility is the inability to get pregnant. There may be no other obvious signs or symptoms; however, in some cases, potential problems, such as genetic diseases, hormonal imbalances, enlarged veins around the testicles, or conditions that obstruct the passage of sperm, can cause signs and symptoms. Following are the signs and symptoms,

• Sexual function problems, for example, difficulty in ejaculation or low volume of ejaculation, decreased libido, or difficulty maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction)

• Pain, swelling, or lumps in the testicular area

• Repeated respiratory infections

• Inability to smell

• Abnormal breast development (Gynecomastia)

• Decreased facial or body hair or different indications of chromosomal or hormonal irregularities

• Sperm count is considered lower than normal

Male Factor Infertility Testing

For men, testing to determine their fertility is usually a process. See your doctor (or urologist) for a general health check. The doctor will examine your genitals and check for any health problems, chronic diseases, genetic problems, injuries, or diseases that may affect your fertility. Their sexual habits and the development of adolescence are also part of the discussion.

Once your doctor has recorded your medical history and performed an examination, a semen analysis can be performed. Samples are obtained by masturbating and ejaculating in a special container. Or, some men prefer different semen collection methods. Many times, your doctor will provide you with a special condom to collect samples during sex.

The laboratory tests the three main factors of your semen; the number of sperm, how they move (motility), and their appearance (morphology). It will also check your semen for signs of infection and other problems. From there, the doctor may recommend more tests, which may include these common tests:

Scrotal ultrasound: This is a testicular ultrasound that can check the condition of the testicles and supporting structures. Ultrasound also ruled out varicocele.

Hormone blood test: The blood test measures the levels of testosterone and other hormones required for sperm production and sexual function.

Urinalysis: After ejaculation occurs, the doctor will perform this check immediately. The presence of any semen in the urine indicates that the sperm are moving back to the bladder.

Genetic testing: If your doctor considers it necessary based on your initial visit or your sperm count, you may need a blood test. This test looks for any changes in the Y chromosome that indicate inheritance or genetic syndrome.

Initial treatment plan

Once your doctor sees your test results, he or she may order additional, more invasive tests or make a diagnosis. The treatment of male factor infertility depends on the diagnosis, but some of these treatments include:

Surgery: To diagnose varicocele or obstruction, surgery is required. If you have had a vasectomy before, surgery can reverse it. In some cases, even if your body produces sperm, there is no sperm in your ejaculation. In this case, the doctor will directly extract sperm from the epididymis or testis.

Antibiotics: In case of infection, your doctor will treat it with antibiotics. When the infection clears, fertility may be restored.

Treatment of erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation: If the problem is that sperm reach the egg, there are medicines that can help.

Hormone therapy: Use hormone replacement drugs to treat low levels of certain hormones. This helps restore fertility.

Assisted Reproductive Technology

Sometimes, the treatment of severe male factor infertility is ineffective. You have several different alternatives when this happens.

IUI: If you are producing sperm, you and your partner can choose intrauterine insemination. In this case, the doctor will take a high concentration of sperm and insert it directly into the uterus, where it is more likely to reach the egg for fertilization.

IVF: In the case of poor sperm mobility or low sperm, in vitro fertilization is very successful. The laboratory places the sperm very close to the egg, which helps in fertilization.

ICSI: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection involves selecting a single sperm and injecting it directly into the egg. For this procedure, the doctor can remove sperm directly from the testicles. ICSI is also used for frozen or cryopreserved sperm.

Donated Sperm: If there are no other options, if there is a risk of genetic defects, or for other medical reasons, a couple may consider using donor sperm. In the case of severe male factor infertility, the use of donor sperm is very successful. You and your partner can use sperm from anonymous donors from healthy donors with no genetic problems or from known donors who have been approved as healthy.