Common Causes of Male Infertility and Next Steps

Arizona Urology Blog Common Causes of Male Infertility and Next Steps
Common Causes of Male Infertility and Next Steps

If you and your partner are running into hurdles in your family building and conception is proving difficult, you’re not alone. 

On a global scale, about 1 in 6 people are affected by infertility. Closer to home, between 12% and 15% of couples in the United States experience infertility, and the issue is evenly split — a third of the time, the issue lies with the male, another third with the female, and a final third due to both or for reasons unknown. 

As specialists in men’s health, the experienced team at Arizona Urology understands the overall fertility picture and how it can be fueled by male infertility. In the following, we take a closer look at common causes of male infertility to help in your search for answers.

Defining infertility

We’re going to start with a brief and widely accepted definition of infertility. In short, infertility is present if a couple fails to conceive after at least one year of unprotected sex.

Leading drivers of male infertility

If you and your partner qualify as having infertility, now it’s time to search for answers, and we do our part on the male side of the equation. At our practice, we routinely help men with fertility issues, and here’s what we’ve found are the most common culprits:

Sperm disorders

Many men with infertility have sperm disorders that lead to:

A quick and easy sperm analysis can shed some critical light on determining the quantity and quality of your sperm.

Diabetes

Diabetes, which affects nearly 15% of adult men in the US, can cause male infertility. This systemic disease can damage sperm and lead to low testosterone production.

Retrograde ejaculation

If nerves and muscles around your bladder fail to close, sperm-carrying semen can go into your bladder instead of out through your penis.

Hormone issues 

Your fertility relies on the smooth functioning of your primary hormonal channels, namely the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis. This part of your endocrine system directly oversees your reproductive and fertility functions. So, if there’s a malfunction anywhere along this network, infertility is often a result.

Varicoceles

This is a condition in which you have dilated (varicose) veins in your scrotum that impair sperm development. About 40% of men with infertility have varicoceles.

Blockages

Many issues can obstruct sperm, such as trauma, previous surgeries, and conditions like epididymitis, which is inflammation in the coiled tubes that store sperm in your testicles.

There are certainly other issues that can lead to male infertility — from lifestyle considerations like heavy smoking and drinking to certain medical treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation.

The best way to get to the bottom of your infertility issues is to come in for a comprehensive fertility evaluation.

To get that ball rolling, please contact us at one of our offices in Phoenix, Goodyear, Gilbert, and Glendale, Arizona, today to schedule a visit.

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