Male infertility is present in up to half of all infertile couples. Therefore, it is very important that the male partner be evaluated early, prior to any female treatment(s). Donor sperm was once the only option for couples with moderate to severe male infertility. With the advent of intracytoplasmic sperm injection ( ICSI ) a pregnancy can often be created with a single sperm. Using ICSI, a sperm is injected directly into the egg thus initiating fertilization. This means men with few, or in so cases no, sperm in the ejaculate can create genetically related children.
There may have been an increase in the incidence of male infertility over the last several years. We are sure that male infertility is being diagnosed more frequently due to increased public awareness of male infertility.
Male infertility may have several causes. One common cause is elevation of temperature in the testis. The scrotum functions to "heat" and "cool" the testes by moving them closer to or further away from the body. Anything that interferes with this function can cause male infertility. For example, tightly fitting clothes elevate testicular temperature by not allowing the scrotum to move away from the body. A varicocele is a blockage of the veins in the scrotum responsible for controlling temperature by supplying cooled or warmed blood.
Evaluation of male infertility should be conducted by a reproductive medicine laboratory. The andrologists at these facilities have extensive experience identifying subtle signs of male infertility. Sometimes insurance companies direct patients to commercial laboratories for the male infertility evaluation. We encourage patients to use a reproductive medicine lab even if they have to pay "out of pocket". "Missed" male infertility can lead to "futile" female treatments as pregnancy cannot occur without quality sperm.
Partners with male infertility are referred to one of our colleagues – a urologist specialized in male fertility. The evaluation typically includes taking a history, a physical examination and a repeat semen analysis. In some cases blood tests and ultrasound of the testes may be required.
Our four full-time andrologists assess all parameters of
sperm and semen. In addition to providing high quality
sperm testing, our Andrology Laboratory’s refined methods
of sperm processing have contributed to high success rates
for our inseminations. |
