Male Infertility

Male infertility is a problem with the reproductive system that prevents a man from impregnating a woman. If a male and a female have repeated unprotected sex for more than a year and the female doesn’t get pregnant, then the male, the female, or both may have infertility issues.

What causes infertility?

Many environmental and biological and environmental factors can impact fertility, including:

• Azoospermia: The inability to produce sperm cells.
• Oligospermia: The production of quality or low sperm.
• Genetic diseases such as Klinefelter's syndrome, Myotonic Dystrophy, Microdeletion and more.
• Malformed sperm: Sperm that doesn't live long enough to fertilise the egg.
• Certain medical conditions such as infection, diabetes, autoimmune disorders and cystic fibrosis
• Some supplements and medications
• Varicoceles: A condition where the veins on the testicles are larger than normal, causing them to overheat, which can affect the number or shape or size of sperm.
• Cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation or surgery that removes the testicles (one or both).
• Unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking, excessive alcohol use, and illegal drug use
• Hormonal disorders
• Trauma to the testes

How is male infertility treated?

With modern methods and technology, the number of treatment options for male infertility has increased vastly. Depending on the cause of infertility, treatment options will vary.

If infertility is related to hormonal imbalances and/or erectile dysfunction, your Dr Pluke may recommend an injection or oral medication to correct the problem.

If the cause of your infertility is varicocele, your urologist may recommend varicocelectomy, which is a surgical procedure designed to repair dilated veins above the scrotum.

Invitro fertilisation (IVF)

During the IVF process, a woman's ovaries are stimulated with injectable fertility medications to cause multiple eggs to form. When the eggs are ready, they are collected during a minor procedure. The fertilisation process is completed by exposing the eggs to sperm in a culture dish or by directly injecting a single sperm cell into each matured egg.