Male Infertility

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  • Male Infertility
    • Causes
      • Physical abnormalities of the male reproductive tract, such as obstruction or impaired sperm production.
      • Abnormalities of the sperm itself.
    • Assessed through: Semen analysis
      • A normal assessment should show:
        • Sperm count of more than 20 million sperm per millimetre.
        • 50% of sperm actively moving.
        • 30% of the sperm must have normal shape.
        • Sperm should survive for 24-48 hours
    • Defective Sperm Production
      • May be associated with infections, surgery, or excessive drinking.
      • Certain drugs, such as radiation and radiotherapy can also affect the production of sperm.
    • Azoospermia
      • Refers to the absence of sperm in the ejaculate.
      • This may be due to: Obstruction in the vas deferens, the vas deferens being missing, a hormonal problem stopping sperm from being reduced.
    • Antibodies
      • May attach to sperm and impair their mobility of their ability to penetrate and fertilise an egg.
    • Impotence ('Erectile Dysfunction')
      • The inability of a man to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for his sexual needs or the needs of his partner.
      • Most men experience dysfunction at some point in their lives, usually by age 40.
        • But, it has now been established that impotence affects younger men too.
      • The cause is often circulation-related, resulting from prescription drug use, smoking, drinking, or diabetes.
      • Many men suffer a combination of physical and psychological reasons.
        • It is very easy for a man with impotence to become stressed and depressed about his situation and this makes things worse.

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