Infertility: Problems With the Man's Reproductive System
Overview
The most common cause of male infertility is low sperm count. Absence of sperm in the semen is less common, affecting 1 out of 100 men and affecting 10 to 15 out of 100 infertile men.footnote 1
Causes of sperm count problems include:
- Hormonal problems in the testicles, Opens dialog or pituitary gland, Opens dialog. The pituitary gland releases hormones that stimulate the testicles to produce testosterone, Opens dialog.
- Testicular injury or failure, either present at birth (congenital) or associated with radiation or toxic chemical exposure.
- Cancer treatment with certain kinds of chemotherapy or radiation.
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Antibodies, Opens dialog
that attack sperm and that also may be present in semen. Sperm antibodies sometimes develop when a man's sperm has been exposed to his immune system (outside of the testicles). This may happen after a vasectomy, an infection, or an injury to the testicles.footnote 2
- Drug use (some prescription medicines, and marijuana and tobacco use).
- Structural problems. These include:
- Chromosomal problems (such as Klinefelter syndrome, Opens dialog).
- Genetic problems.
See a picture of the male reproductive system, Opens dialog.
References
Citations
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American Society for Reproductive Medicine and Society for Male Reproduction and Urology (2008). Evaluation of the azoospermic male. Fertility and Sterility, 90(Suppl 5): S74–S77.
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Fritz MA, Speroff L (2011). Male infertility. In Clinical Gynecologic Endocrinology and Infertility, 8th ed., pp. 1249–1292. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Credits
Current as of: April 30, 2024
Current as of: April 30, 2024
American Society for Reproductive Medicine and Society for Male Reproduction and Urology (2008). Evaluation of the azoospermic male. Fertility and Sterility, 90(Suppl 5): S74–S77.
Fritz MA, Speroff L (2011). Male infertility. In Clinical Gynecologic Endocrinology and Infertility, 8th ed., pp. 1249–1292. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.