Male Factor Infertility

Male Factor Infertility

            Male factor infertility can be attributed to approximately one-third of infertility cases.[1] There are many different factors that can cause male factor infertility. These include: azoospermia (absence of sperm cells), oligospermia (presence of only a few sperm cells), improper shape, slow motility, or sperm cells dying prior to reaching the egg. 2

In October of 2013, my husband was diagnosed with oligospermia and slow motility. When our doctor called to inform us of our test results, I honestly knew absolutely NOTHING about infertility, besides the fact that it existed. All of a sudden, our doctor was giving us all of these medical diagnoses that seemed pretty serious and letting us know that he was not really sure who we needed to see next for assistance. He informed us that it would probably be beneficial to see a urologist and that, if he could not help us, it might be helpful to see a reproductive endocrinologist. Umm… Who?? I had never even heard of these doctors before!

Our Diagnostic Testing:

But let’s rewind a little to how we got this diagnosis. At our first appointment, my husband was asked a number of questions such as, “Have you ever been hit really hard in the scrotum?”, “Have you ever had surgery completed in your scrotum area?”, “Have any males on your side been diagnosed with infertility?”, etc. Then, they informed us that they would need to obtain a semen sample, which could be collected at home. Once collected, the sample had to be kept at body temperature and be brought into the lab within twenty minutes. On a good day, we can make it to the lab from our house in about forty-five minutes. So instead, we rented a nearby hotel and practiced driving back and forth to the lab just to make sure that we would make it in time!

The results took about two to three days to come in. A few weeks later, another sample was collected and analyzed and the results were compared. My husband had 4.4 million sperm cells per milliliter on the first sample and 3.6 million sperm cells per milliliter on the second sample, which seemed like a lot if you asked me! But, to our surprise, it actually was not.

So, how many sperm cells are needed in order to become pregnant?

We soon learned that the average male ejaculates around 100 million sperm cells per milliliter! Technically, it only takes one sperm to fertilize one egg in order to achieve pregnancy. However, the process for this to occur is more grueling than expected. Once a sperm cell is released, it must first make the journey from the vagina into the fallopian tubes. This journey is very strenuous and only a few sperm cells are able to survive. For those that do survive, they must get past the thick layer that encompasses the egg in order to fertilize. Due to the high number of sperm cells that don’t reach the egg, men who produce less than 20 million sperm cells per milliliter of semen are at risk of infertility.3

However, the number of sperm cells isn’t the only thing that matters. In addition to this, the sperm cell must also be healthy and have adequate motility and function or it will not be able to make it to or enter into the egg. 4

What does a diagnosis of male factor infertility mean?

Thankfully, a diagnosis of male factor infertility does not always have to stop a couple from being able to conceive a child. Based on your diagnosis and specific circumstance, your doctor will be able to recommend what the best route for you and your partner may be.

-Shauni

Resources:

[1]American Society for Reproductive Medicine. (1996-2015). What causes infertility. Retrieved from http://www.reproductivefacts.org/detail.aspx?id=3018

2 Mayo Clinic Staff. (2015, August 11). Diseases and conditions male infertility.  Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/male-infertility/basics/treatment/con-20033113

3 WebMD Staff. (2005-2015). Sperm FAQ. http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/guide/sperm-and-semen-faq

4 Mayo Clinic Staff