Male Infertility

Lots of couples have trouble conceiving a child. About 40 percent of the time, the cause of infertility is traced entirely or in part to the man.

The male fertility process involves making mature sperm and getting the sperm to reach and fertilize the egg. For this process to happen, a man must be able to have and sustain an erection, have enough sperm, have enough semen to carry the sperm to the egg, and have sperm that are the right shape and move in the right way. A problem in any part of this process can lead to problems conceiving.

Many factors can affect male fertility. Some include:

• Age
• Stress
• Smoking, drugs, and alcohol
• Undescended testicles or damage to the testicles
• Wearing tight underwear
• Medications
• Environmental toxins
• Genetic conditions
• Other health problems

If your partner has not become pregnant after 1 year of frequent sex without birth control (or after 6 months if your partner is 35 or older), talk to your doctor. A semen analysis can be a good first step for couples facing fertility problems because it is much easier and costs less than tests that look at female fertility. The test looks at a man’s semen and sperm. Many couples with fertility problems go on to have healthy pregnancies and babies. In some cases, the cause for infertility in the man or woman cannot be found or cannot be treated.