Infertility can affect both men and women. Male factor infertility is a common issue that many men struggle with when attempting to conceive. In fact, up to 40% of infertility diagnoses involve male factor challenges.* First Fertility offers male fertility treatments to help our patients grow their families.
Causes of Male Infertility
Male infertility can have a variety of causes, including medical conditions, genetic factors, and past injuries. Your fertility specialist will review your medical and family history to consider all possibilities that may be causing your infertility. Some of the most common causes of male infertility include:
- Cancer or autoimmune conditions, as well as their medications/treatments
- Hormonal conditions
- Swollen veins in your testicles
- Low sperm count or absence of sperm in your semen
If you are struggling with sexual function during intercourse, this can also be a cause and symptom of infertility. Difficulty with ejaculation, maintaining an erection, or reduced sexual desire can make it more difficult to conceive. A fertility specialist can help determine if there is an underlying cause that may be making it more challenging to conceive.
Symptoms of Male Infertility
Male infertility can be hard to detect without fertility testing, although there are a few symptoms you can keep an eye out for, which may let you know it’s time to get tested. Some of those symptoms include:
- Runny or watery semen
- Pain, swelling, or a lump around your testicles
- Decreased facial or body hair
- Recurrent respiratory infections
- Abnormal breast growth (gynecomastia)
If your partner is under 35, you should see a fertility specialist if you have been trying to conceive for around a year. If your partner is over 35, you should see a fertility specialist after six months of trying. If your partner is over 40, you should see a fertility specialist after three months.
Fertility Treatments for Men
Fertility treatments are available for men. Our fertility specialists will complete a fertility assessment, which may include blood work, a semen analysis, and imaging to determine the cause of your infertility and create a treatment plan. Treatment plans may consist of a combination of medication, surgery, or assisted reproductive technologies (ART).
Medication
If you’re experiencing a hormone imbalance, medication can correct it. This may, in turn, increase sperm production and your sex drive, making it more likely that you will be able to conceive.
Surgical Fertility Treatments for Men
Surgery can help correct past trauma to your reproductive organs. If you’ve had a vasectomy previously, it can also be reversed to attempt to restore fertility.
Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (MESA) is a sperm retrieval procedure that can collect sperm directly from the testicles using an operating microscope and needle. The sperm is then used with assisted reproductive technologies.
Testicular Sperm Aspiration (TESA) is a minimally invasive procedure that retrieves sperm for assisted reproductive technology fertility treatments, such as IVF and ICSI. A needle is used to aspirate sperm and testicular tissue. This procedure can be timed with a partner’s egg retrieval for in-lab fertilization.
Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART)
ART is a group of advanced treatment options that include in vitro fertilization, intrauterine insemination, and intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) involves fertilizing an egg with sperm in our specialized IVF laboratory. The resulting embryos will be monitored for five days before our specialists select the healthiest one for transfer back into the uterus.
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a type of IVF in which a single sperm is inserted directly into a single egg for fertilization. After monitoring, this embryo is then transferred into your partner’s uterus.
Intrauterine insemination (IUI) prepares your sperm and inserts it directly into the uterus using a catheter to give the sperm the best chance possible to reach the egg for fertilization.
Schedule a Fertility Assessment
If you are experiencing symptoms of male infertility or have been trying to conceive unsuccessfully, schedule an appointment at your local First Fertility clinic. Our fertility specialists will conduct a fertility assessment in order to determine the cause of your infertility and create a personalized treatment plan that can help you have the children you’re hoping to have.
Contact us to schedule an appointment for a fertility assessment today.
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