Pregnancy Info

Problems with the sperm themselves are the most common cause of male infertility, although there may also be anatomical problems that affect a man’s ability to ejaculate. The study of male fertility is
relatively new compared with female fertility, but doctors now know much more about it and about the role of sperm in particular.

Problems with Sperm

Sperm are extremely vulnerable cells. They take seven weeks to form and can be affected by outside influences at any point in their development. Because of this, it’s entirely possible for a man to give sperm samples on separate occasions that differ widely both in quality and quantity.

Testicular failure - The cause of this is usually hard to establish, but it may be due to a chromosomal problem such as Klinefelter syndrome (when a man has two or more X chromosomes rather than one), testes that did not descend properly after birth, a blow to the testes, such as a sports injury, or the man’s having suffered mumps as an adult.

Low sperm counts - By itself, a low sperm count does not mean infertility. Many men With low sperm counts father children, but conception tends to take longer. Unfortunately, when there are few sperm, the majority tend to be abnormal or are not very active. Low sperm counts and sperm abnormalities may be caused by hormonal problems, anatomical problems, immunological problems, or even environmental factors.

Immunological Problems

Both men and women may produce antibodies to sperm that can interfere with fertilization, but it’s mainly a problem for men. In men, the antibodies are on the surface of sperm, in the semen, or in the blood. In women, antibodies are found in the cervical mucus or in the blood. Antibodies are found in five to 10 percent of infertile couples, but two percent offertile men also have antibodies.

How antibodies affect fertility - The most important antibodies are those that are attached to the sperm themselves: they can affect the way sperm move and their ability to penetrate a woman’s cervical mucus and fertilize the egg. Antibodies can also affect the acrosome-the cap on the head of the sperm, which contains enzymes essential for egg penetration.

How fertility treatments are affected - Antibodies on the surface of the sperm can interfere with IVF (in vitro fertilization) and other kinds of ART (assisted reproduction technologies;). The antibodies can stop sperm from moving and even destroy them. However, the presence of antibodies doesn’t necessarily mean that a man can’t conceive a child, so many specialists recommend that antibody is not carried only in couples who have “unexplained infertility” and who’ve already had all the other tests. This is because treatment is difficult and hazardous. The mainstay is moderate to high dosage with steroids, which is known to cause serious fetal side effects in some cases.