Did you know that roughly 15% of couples find it difficult to conceive a child after they’ve been trying for 12 months? Nearly 50% of those cases can be attributed to infertility problems with the men in those relationships, while 40% are female infertility. The other 10% are due to infertility problems with the male and female.

What causes men to become infertile in the first place? Well, there isn’t just one cause. Men become infertile due to specific abnormalities within their bodies, whether chromosomal or hormonal. Sometimes it has to do with nutrition and lifestyle habits, but not always.

The best thing to do is visit a licensed urologist and get some testing done. If you’re a man, the urologist will want to analyze your semen to determine its sperm count, volume, movement, structure, and concentration. The urologist may also want you to undergo a hormone test, physical examination, testicular biopsy, or ejaculatory duct ultrasound. 

They will compare the results of these tests to your medical history to determine if you are infertile. The urologist may want to conduct additional tests to get a more precise answer, including tests on the female partner too. 

How to Treat Male Infertility?

The method for treating male infertility depends on the cause.

For example, most infertile men have a condition called varicocele, which is when several varicose veins develop in the spermatic cord. If a man has this condition, his testicles suffer an increased temperature that damages his sperm. Approximately 42% of all men with infertility issues have a varicocele.

Fortunately, a man can visit a urologist to get varicocele treatment. The treatment method for this condition is a surgical procedure known as microsurgical varicocelectomy. Once the treatment is administered, the man should have more sperm returning to their semen in the weeks and months afterward. The success rate for this treatment is 90%.

But if a varicocele is not the cause of the man’s infertility, it could mean they have an obstruction, hormonal abnormality, or sperm retrieval issue. Obstructions are when the male reproductive tract is impeded to the point where sperm cannot move through it normally. A urologist needs to perform surgery to correct this problem in the reproductive tract.

Hormonal abnormalities are nothing too serious. A man can choose to try out some medications to stabilize their hormonal balance. If that doesn’t work, they can elect to get surgery to try and fix it. There are no guarantees here, but urologists have a reasonably high success rate with medication or surgery to correct the abnormalities.

If none of these other treatments increase fertility, the final resort is a sperm retrieval procedure. The urologist has to work with both partners to perform it successfully. First, the urologist coordinates the sperm retrieval procedure with a reproductive endocrinologist. Then, the urologist will take sperm from the man and insert it into the woman. Putting sperm into a woman is done through in vitro fertilization or intrauterine insemination procedures.

Make an Appointment Today 

Are you or your male partner infertile? If so, you should make an appointment to see Dr. Angelo Gousse of Gousse Urology. There is no better time to start your infertility evaluation than right now.

Call us at 954-362-2720 to set up an appointment and get started.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use health insurance to cover the costs of male infertility examinations and treatments? 

Unfortunately, most health insurance policies don’t provide insurance coverage to men requesting fertility treatment and examinations. However, check out your insurance policy terms and provisions because some carriers will cover the diagnostic testing associated with male infertility examinations.  

It would be surprising if your insurance policy covered male infertility treatments because it is such a rare thing. The best way to better understand your insurance policy provisions is to contact your insurance carrier. They can explain the terms of your insurance policy in a way so that you can understand them. Just look on the back of your health insurance card and call the 1-800 customer service number you see printed there.

How much of an effect does testosterone therapy have on male fertility? 

There are a lot of myths floating around about testosterone replacement therapy and how it can increase libido and fertility in men. The truth is that testosterone therapy is not healthy for your body or your fertility. It can actually have the opposite effect in the body by causing your testicles to produce less testosterone and sperm. As a result, it will worsen your infertility.