Male Infertility

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:

• Sexual function conditions such as erectile dysfunction (ED)
• Infections or inflammatory conditions, such as mumps
• Hormonal disorders affecting the hypothalamus or pituitary glands
• Immune problems in which you make antibodies against your own sperm
• Certain genetic disorders, including Klinefelter syndrome, Y chromosome microdeletion or cystic fibrosis
• Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including gonorrhea, chlamydia or HIV
• Varicocele (swelling of the veins that drain the testicle)
• Certain medical conditions such as diabetes or hypogonadism
• Cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgical removal of your testicles (orchidectomy)
• Cryptoorchidism (undescended testes)
• Testicular trauma or surgery
• Certain gym or body building supplements
• Being overweight
• Smoking or vaping
• Heavy alcohol use
• Taking drugs or steroids
• Exposure to environmental toxins e.g. industrial fumes

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, 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:

• Medications for sexual problems such as erectile dysfunction
• Treating infections with medication
• Treatments to control underlying conditions such as diabetes and hormonal disorders
• Microsurgery to treat varicocele 
• Lifestyle measures such as stopping smoking, drinking alcohol and taking iillicit drugs and anabolic steroids
• Losing weight if you are overweight 
• Exercising regularly and eating a balanced healthy diet
• Taking fertility supplements
• Surgical sperm extraction from your testicle(s) e.g. mTESE procedure
• Assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or in vitro fertilisation (IVF) to help you and your partner conceive

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.