How to deal with infertility in Men?

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When couples encounter fertility issues it is often believed that the problem lies in the woman. But it is not always true. Men are equally responsible if the couple is unable to conceive a baby. Each group is attributed for a 30% of infertility rate and the rest is credited to a combination of both male and female or unexplained factors.

What causes infertility among men?

Low Sperm count: When the semen which a man ejaculates has low levels of sperm it causes problems in conceiving. A sperm count fewer than 15 million is considered low.

Low Sperm Mobility: The sperm fails to ‘swim’ well as to reach the egg to fertilise it.

Abnormal Sperm: The sperm may have an abnormal shape which makes it harder for it to move and fertilise an egg.

Medical conditions: Conditions like cancer, testicular infection etc. may cause infertility.

Ejaculation disorders: If ejaculatory ducts are blocked, sperms may be ejaculated into bladder.

Genetic: A man should have an X and Y chromosome. If he has two X and a Y chromosome the testicles will develop abnormally which would result in a low sperm count.

How can male infertility be diagnosed?

Male infertility can be diagnosed by semen analysis and for any abnormalities associated with sperm. Usually, a semen sample is taken and is tested for volume of ejaculation, sperm concentration, sperm mobility, and sperm morphology (the shape and size of sperm).

How can male infertility be treated?

Surgery: A varicocele is the enlargement of veins within a scrotum, causing infertility. It can be surgically corrected or reversed. In cases where no such sperm is present in the ejaculated semen, sperm can be retrieved by using sperm-retrieval techniques.

Treating infections: Any infections in the reproductive tract may be cured using antibiotic treatments. Such treatment does not always restore fertility.

Hormone Treatments: If infertility is caused by hormonal imbalance then medications and hormone replacement would help a great deal.
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART): ART involves procuring sperm through normal ejaculation, surgical extraction or donations from individuals. This sperm is then inserted into the female genital tract in order to conceive a child.

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According to a report by National Center for Health Statics only 12% of the women face fertility related problems, so either if you are trying a pregnancy or simply wondering if you are fertile

CONGRATULATIONS!! Odds are already in your favor. Ideally, the majority of couples get pregnant within 3 to 12 months of trying and moreover here are few tell signs that you are fertile enough to wash your doubts.

1. Your periods are regular

One of the most obvious signs of fertility is regular periods. Hence if you get your periods in a regular duration of 24 to 35 days your hormones are in perfect balance and your ovaries are producing an egg every month.

2. You have an ideal weight

However, your body weight has nothing to do with your fertility unless your periods are regular however weighing either too much or too little can invite fertility issues. In skinny women, a little fat can lead to difficulties in getting pregnant because their bodies conserve energy for the proper function of the other parts and may shut down ovulation. On the flipside, women with too much body fat can disrupt the functioning of hormones responsible for ovulation. Though in most of the cases heavy and thin women do get pregnant yet gaining or losing to reach a healthy Mass Body Index (MBI) would be a smart move for a healthier pregnancy and fast recovery from postpartum.

3. You don’t have a problem of fibroids and endometriosis

Women usually have a habit of ignoring subtle symptoms until they emerge as bigger issues. Ladies, pelvic pain, heavy, long and extremely painful periods can be signs of endometriosis or fibroids. Though, either of the conditions are not an issue in conceiving a child yet your chances of getting fertility related issues increases.

4. You are away from smoking and alcohol consumption

Smoking and drinking can severely damage your eggs and derail ovulation which leads to delayed or no pregnancy. Moreover, the risk of infertility increases if your partner smokes too, so if you are away from smoking you have good odds to conceive.

5. You can track when you are ovulating

Most commonly women ovulate in the mid of their cycle but ovulation can take place anywhere

between 6-7 to 19-20 day of the cycle. You are lucky if you can track the subtle signs and change in vaginal mucus that indicates ovulation.

6. You have regular check on STDs

Certain bacterial infections can spread to reproductive organs, like gonorrhea and chlamydia that may cause PID (pelvic inflammatory disease). Such infections can later lead to serious damage to fallopian tubes, ovaries and uterus if remained undetected. Sadly, despite of clear signs of PID infection like irregular bleeding, and pain during sex and urination two-third of the times it goes unnoticed and creates issues later. So if you haven’t got yourself checked for STDs lately and preparing for a baby, it’s a good time to visit your doctor.