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Male Infertility

About 35-40% of the problems among couples are caused by infertile conditions in men today. There are many treatment options available for male infertility.

The sperm must be healthy and strong to reach the egg and fertilize it. In the past two decades, sperm count for men around the world has declined by a third. The decline in sperm count is due to lifestyle factors like the consumption of alcohol and tobacco, being overweight, having a lack of sleep, and exposure to chemicals in daily life. A slight modification in lifestyle may show a big change in the health of the sperm.

For fertilization to occur, a male’s sperm must be healthy and strong enough to reach and penetrate the woman’s egg. If you and your partner are planning a pregnancy, you may be wondering about the health of the male partner’s sperm. Begin by understanding the various factors that can affect male fertility, and then consider steps to help your sperm become top performers.

Health of Semen and Fertility

Usually, semen is a white or off-white colored fluid. Any changes in color or smell could be a sign of something more serious. Semen will usually have a chlorine type smell, but a strong foul smelling ejaculation could be a sign of infection. The amount of semen produced varies from person to person. However, recurring low levels of watery semen could indicate a condition called retrograde ejaculation, and though not harmful, it may cause fertility problems. If you spot any of these changes you should contact your GP or the urologist.

Heart Health and Fertility

In the past two decades, overall sperm count for men around the world has declined by up to a third. The decline in the sperm count is attributed mainly to the following factors. Hypertension and High Blood Pressure Around 80 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, which can lead to potentially life-threatening complications if left untreated, including kidney damage, heart attack, and stroke.

A  study conducted at the Stanford University School of Medicine found that the quality of a man’s semen could indicate their risk for hypertension. Research that included 9,387 men between the ages of 30 and 50 revealed that men struggling with fertility tend to have an increased risk for certain diseases of the circulatory system, such as hypertension and heart disease. The relationship between semen quality and hypertension was tied to around 15 percent of all genes in the human genome that are connected to reproduction as well as other bodily systems.

Cigarette Smoking and Weight and Fertility

Smoking and obesity directly affect a male’s fertility. One study published in the journal Human Reproduction showed that a man with a greater body mass index (BMI) often has a lower sperm count and poor semen quality compared to a man with a lower BMI. Overweight and obese men have worse sperm quality than men of a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese can also cause hormonal changes that reduce fertility and make men less interested in sex. Men who are very overweight are also more likely to have problems getting an erection. Together, these factors reduce the chances of men who are overweight or obese fathering a child. Cigarette smoking has a significant influence only on sperm count, percentage of active sperm, and sperm morphology. The semen parameters in infertile men were significantly different from that of fertile men. The influence of body mass index on semen parameters was obvious except in percentage of immotile sperms. These results suggest that the chemical agents or mutagens may affect male reproductive via direct effect on the spermatogenesis.

Effects of Alcohol Consumption on Fertility

Excessive alcohol lowers testosterone levels and sperm quality and quantity in men. It can also reduce libido, and cause impotence. If a man drinks heavily it can really reduce a couple’s chances of conceiving. However, if you reduce what you drink, these effects can be quickly reversed. The current recommended guidelines on safe drinking recommend no more than three to four units of alcohol per day. Drinking within these limits is unlikely to affect the quality of your sperm, so try to make this your maximum. Liver disease caused by excessive drinking also may lead to fertility problem.

Lack of Sleep and Fertility

A lack of sleep is associated with extremely negative health consequences, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, depression, and certain types of cancer. Yet another study out of Denmark has found that not getting enough sleep can also lower a man’s testosterone levels and sperm count. Men with insomnia and inconsistent sleep had a sperm count that was, on average, 29 percent lower than men who had no trouble sleeping. Tests showed that their testicles were also significantly smaller, according to the study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Based on the overall youth and health of all the men involved in the study, the researchers were able to conclude that quality and duration of sleep has a big effect on sperm count, which determines male fertility.

Diet and Fertility

Along with a healthy lifestyle, if a balanced diet is taken it will greatly help increase the sperm count for men. Foods that increase sperm count include banana, walnuts, garlic, pomegranates, spinach, and eggs. The foods mentioned help boost the sperm count and improve the function of sperm, therefore improving fertility.

Overall, the basic fundamentals for male fertility is enjoying a healthy lifestyle and a well balanced diet.

What is a Trigger Injection? What is a Trigger Injection For?

The purpose of using hormone drugs are to allow for eggs to become more mature and increase their quality. The purpose of the trigger injection is to stimulate ovulation.

A treatment plan is created by a fertility specialist or consultant and will give the mother a detailed medication plan that will span over two weeks. The medication plan is commonly started on the 2nd or 3rd day of the mother’s period.

The combination of IVF hormones will increase the chances of pregnancy much more. During the two weeks of hormone therapy, scans take place so that the specialist is able to watch and monitor the growth of the eggs. The eggs that come to the desired size then need to be collected via the OPU procedure, also known as egg collection.

Mature eggs are triggered with a trigger injection and collected. The more mature and higher quality the eggs are will increase the chances of embryo formation and pregnancy after combining with sperm.

The day, hour, and construction of the injection should be done according to the advise of a specialist. There are posts, blogs and videos that are able to help and to show you how to correctly administer a trigger injection. It is extremely important that the injection is used correctly. This also goes for all of the hormone medication used in the mothers IVF treatment. Misuse of the injection can significantly reduce the success rate of treatment and can prolong the process.

Read our blog on IVF in women with low egg reserves for more information on what steps to take!

Sperm Donation Steps

Men with insufficient sperm quality, numbness, and mobility are less likely to have children. Most males can not have a baby or reproduce because of issues surrounding infertility. Sperm donation therapy may be applied to those experiencing sperm failure, for them and their partners to be able to have children.

Sperm donation is the method by which a couple uses a donor’s sperm to combine with the mother’s egg to get pregnant. Once it becomes fertilized and forms an embryo, it is transferred to the mother’s uterus. The next steps continue in the same way as normal pregnancy.

Sperm Donation Process

If you are not able to have children, you must get your reproductive cells examined. Experts recommend sperm donation if there are conditions such as poor sperm quality and motility in men. If you visit a specialist with the necessary tests, and you have decided to start treatment, the medication treatment for the mother is started on the second or third day of their period.

Drug treatment is given to the mother. This drug treatment is a hormone therapy, and the goal is to mature the mother’s eggs and increase their quality. The medication takes approximately two weeks. When drug treatment is over, eggs are collected from the mother.

Once the eggs have been collected, they are taken to the lab where the embryologists use the sperm from the donor. The sperm will contain the properties determined by the family, and then the donor sperm is then merged with the egg. Reproductive cells are left in a special container in the laboratory in a controlled environment to develop. The reproductive cells are then transferred to the mother 3 or 5 days after they have developed and become embryos. The transfer step is easy and painless.