Male infertility

Did you know that 30-40% of infertility cases are solely due to a form of male factor infertility?

For men, the evaluation is simple. We need to know if there are enough motile (swimming) sperm to reach and fertilize an egg (typically we like to see at least 20 million). The test for this is a semen analysis. Low or absent sperm counts can be due to problems in producing sperm or in a blockage preventing the sperm from being released. Note: appearing to ejaculate normally does not mean there are enough quality sperm being emitted.

While the evaluation for women can be invasive and require multiple visits, the basic male evaluation can be addressed by examining two key questions:

Do you produce a sufficient number of “swimming” sperm to total sperm? Fertile men typically produce tens of millions of sperm per ejaculate. It’s not enough to produce sperm; the job isn’t done until they reach the egg and fertilize it. Unfortunately, it's a long journey, and therefore nature provides millions of sperm in the hope that one is able to make it to the egg, attach and fertilize.

We evaluate sperm count with a semen analysis, which tests the percent motility, or the number of sperm per ejaculation. We also examine direction and speed, shape, and other factors that can give your doctors insight into your ability to conceive without assistance.

Are the sperm able to leave your body? Just as women have tubes that can be blocked (the fallopian tubes), the same is also true with men. The vas deferens is the tube that carries sperm from the testes to the penis. Sometimes these tubes can be blocked or congenitally absent. With an obstructed vas deferens, a man’s semen may appear normal but lack sperm.

Contact us to book your evaluation today.