What Are The Influencing Factors Of Male Infertility?

In order for a child to be conceived, a man and woman must be healthy. However, if no conception has occurred after one year of trying, the couple could be suffering with infertility. Research shows that 10 percent of Americans of reproductive age suffer with infertility. And, contrary to popular belief, the problem isn’t always the woman’s fault. In fact, a third of all infertility cases have been linked to men (roughly 35 percent).

 

Why does male infertility occur? There are several factors including:

 

- Low sperm count

- Problems with ejaculation

- Abnormal sperm (malformed and a shorter life span)

 

Typically, fertility is going to be based on your overall health. If you follow a healthy lifestyle, the sperm is likely to be healthy. Of course, if you smoke, do drugs or drink, your sperm could be negatively impacted. Studies have shown that smoking and or drinking can significantly reduce the amount of sperm and reduce the sperm cell health.

 

Malnutrition contributes to infertility in men especially if there is a deficiency in zinc and Vitamin C. Certain kinds of diseases like anemia, fevers, mumps and tuberculosis as well as infections can be a cause for male infertility. Reproductive system infections include prostatitis, orchitis and epididymitis. Infertility can also be caused by sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea or chlamydia, which can damage the spermatic ducts. If you pass the disease onto your partner, it can cause her to become infertile.

 

It’s thought that some medications can be a reason for male infertility. Medications such as:

 

- Cancer treatments (chemotherapy)

- Anti-diarrheal drug (sulfasalazine)

- Anti-fungal medicine (ketoconazole)

- Certain antibiotics (macrolides and nitrofurans)

- Azulfidine (medication that treats ulcerative colitis)

 

Anabolic steroids can cause the shrinkage of testicles along with infertility.

 

Other possible treats to a man’s fertility include but are not limited to:

 

- Testicle injuries or trauma

- Deficiency in testosterone

- Varicocele

- Structural abnormality in vas deferens

- Blockage in vas deferens

- Varicose vein in testicle that generates an excessive amount of heat that can possible kill sperm

 

Some reasons that male infertility occurs is due to the kind of lifestyle you are living. Are you overly stressed? Do you exercise too much or too intensely? When you have a high amount of adrenal steroid hormones, you end up lowering the level of testosterone in your body. Do you wear tight jogging pants or underwear? Do you enjoy hot tubs or saunas? These things can increase the temperature of the scrotum, which is harmful to the sperm. Environmental hazard exposure like boron, lead, mercury, paint, heavy metals, radiation, etc. can also be reasons for male infertility.