Infertility

Over their lifetimes, approximately one in every five couples in the United States seeks infertility care. Surprisingly, only half of couples who are trying to become pregnant achieve pregnancy easily and about one in ten American couples of reproductive age are involuntary infertile; male infertility accounts for half of these cases. Despite the relative importance of infertility due to the male, infertility evaluations have traditionally focused on women, because women tend to seek gynecological care and because men often are reluctant to seek advice.A variety of disorders ranging from hormonal disturbances to physical problems, to psychological problems can cause male infertility. Although many treatment options are now available, in many cases treatment will not work. In many instances, male infertility is caused by testicular damage resulting in an inability of the testicle to produce sperm. Once damaged, the testicle will not usually regain its sperm-making capabilities; this aspect of male infertility is analogous to menopause (though notnatural like menopause) for women and cannot usually be treated. Despite medicine’s limited ability to treat male infertility, many successful treatment options are available for its many causes. Besides testicular damage, the main causes of male infertility are low sperm production and poor sperm quality.

The Causes of Male Infertility Male infertility has many causes--from hormonal imbalances, to physical problems, to psychological and/or behavioral problems. Moreover, fertility reflects a man’s “overall” health. Men who live a healthy lifestyle are more likely to produce healthy sperm. The following list highlights some lifestyle choices that negatively impact male fertility--it is not all-inclusive:

	Smoking--significantly decreases both sperm count and sperm cell motility.
	Prolonged use of marijuana and other recreational drugs.
	Chronic alcohol abuse.
	Anabolic steroid use--causes testicular shrinkage and infertility.
	Overly intense exercise--produces high levels of adrenal steroid hormones which cause a testosterone deficiency resulting in infertility.
	Inadequate vitamin C and Z inc in the diet.
	Tight underwear--increases scrotal temperature which results in decreased sperm production.
	Exposure to environmental hazards and toxins such as pesticides, lead, paint, radiation, radioactive substances, mercury, benzene, boron, and heavy metals
	Malnutrition and anemia.
	Excessive stress!
Modifying these behaviors can improve a man’s fertility and should be considered when a couple is trying to achieve pregnancy.