Male infertility is responsible for 50% of fertility problems within a heterosexual couple and affects approximately 7% of men in the UK.
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Male infertility is a condition of the male reproductive system and is defined by the failure to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse with your female partner.
Estimates suggest that around 7% of men in the UK are affected by male infertility, and 50% of fertility problems within a heterosexual couple are due to male infertility.
There are two types of male infertility:
The main sign that you may have male infertility is an inability to conceive with your female partner after 12 months of regular unprotected intercourse.
In most cases, men will not have any physical symptoms to indicate infertility. However, factors that may be causing your infertility can cause noticeable symptoms such as:
Male fertility is defined by your ability to produce healthy sperm that can fertilise an egg, and also to be able to have and maintain erection and ejaculate so that your sperm reaches the egg.
In most cases, male infertility is caused by problems with sperm, including immature sperm, abnormally shaped sperm (teratospermia), poor sperm motility (asthenospermia), low sperm count (oligospermia) and the complete absence of sperm in your semen (azoospermia).
Certain medical and environmental factors that affect the health of your sperm include:
1 in 4 cases of male infertility in the UK are described as unexplained infertility. This is when no cause of infertility can be identified in either partner.
During your consultation at our private men's health clinic, your OneWelbeck Uroandrologist will ask you about your medical history and if you are experiencing any health concerns or symptoms. They will also ask you questions related to conceiving such as how often you’re having unprotected sex and how long have you been trying to conceive.
They will then perform a physical examination which involves checking your testicles for any lumps or abnormalities and checking the shape and structure of your penis as well as looking for any abnormalities. An ultrasound scan of the testicles is usually arranged to confirm any findings.
Further tests including semen analysis and blood tests are normally required, which assess for problems with your sperm and male hormones. In some cases an STI test to check for any infections which may be affecting your fertility are required. Other blood tests may also be done to check for any genetic abnormalities that could be affecting your fertility.
Struggling to conceive can be frustrating and upsetting, and in some cases, the exact cause of infertility cannot be identified. However, there are still a number of treatment options available that can help improve your fertility and your chances of conceiving.
Treatments and lifestyle changes that may help improve male infertility include:
At OneWelbeck, our specialist male fertility consultants will guide you through all the appropriate treatment options available and put together a personalised treatment plan to give you the best possible chance of conceiving.
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