What You Should Know About Male Infertility | Tennessee Valley Urology Center
When a couple tries to conceive, it can be extremely hard both physically and emotionally when it doesn’t happen naturally.
While infertility is often considered an issue related to women’s health, a third of infertility cases are related to male infertility.
Our team at Tennessee Valley Urology Center wants you to know that if you are a male who is affected, you are not alone. We are here to help guide you through male infertility so that you can find a treatment that best fits your needs and gives you the end result you desire.
What’s Behind Male Infertility
When you and your loved one decide the time has come to expand your family, what should be an exciting time can quickly turn into stress and worry when it doesn’t happen within a few months.
While it is a topic not frequently discussed, infertility is increasingly coming into the light. That’s because it’s actually incredibly common—and people are beginning to share their experience with it. More than one in 10 American couples deal with some level of infertility.
In the one-third of cases where male infertility is involved, it may be due to a number of underlying causes, including:
- Abnormal sperm production or function due to undescended testicles
- Genetic defects
- Chronic health problems like diabetes, or infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, mumps or HIV
- Enlarged veins in the testes that affect the quality of sperm
How Male Infertility Is Treated
Male infertility presents in a number of different ways, including issues with ejaculation and problems with sperm production.
Depending on the specific type of issue, there are many different treatment options.
If the issue is related to a chronic health condition or an infection of some sort, the first step in treatment will involve treating that underlying issue.
In many cases, infertility treatment will first involve nonsurgical treatment options. These options, which are often used in ejaculation issues or hormonal imbalances, may include prescribed or over-the-counter medications.
If nonsurgical treatment is ineffective or the condition cannot be treated using those options, surgical options are also available. These may include:
- Microsurgical vasovasostomy
- Vasoepididymostomy
- Transurethral resection of the ejaculatory duct
Assistive fertility methods designed to help with conception are also an option in many cases and may include sperm retrieval techniques, intrauterine insemination, in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
Are you wanting to learn more about the treatment of male infertility? Make an appointment with Tennessee Valley Urology Center today to learn how our medical professionals can help.