Treatment for Male Infertility

Infertility had been considered as a female problem until recently. But modern day studies show that it is often the male partner who is responsible for infertility.

Traditional Treatment- Doctors have revealed that at least 80%-90% of male infertility cases stem from varicocele which is characterized by swollen veins around the scrotum. Treatment with antibiotics can successfully reverse the problem.

Excessive drug abuse, smoking or alcoholism may make a man sterile temporarily. The condition may be made even more complicated by involvement of certain psychological factors as well. Abstaining from the offending substance can make the concerned person fertile again.

Lead poisoning, exposure to radiation or chemical pesticides are a few occupational hazards which can render a man infertile. A change of environment coupled with proper treatment can succeed in overcoming the problem.

A low sperm count can be raised by administration of certain hormones like testosterone, thyroid hormone and cortisone. Pituitary deficiency may also prevent a man from fathering a child. In such cases, the medication given, may be similar to those used for inducing ovulation in women.

In Vitro Fertilizations- IVFs were traditionally used for treating women infertility. It has now being increasingly used to treat male infertility as well. One of the techniques include direct injection of the sperm into a human egg outside the body. The implanted ovum is then inserted back into the female body. This procedure was extremely successful with men who had live sperms in their testes in spite of having none in their semen. However, this involves a long and delicate surgical procedure and is often very expensive.

A relatively newer procedure was discovered in 1995 whence the doctors could extract the sperm easily by means of aspiration. Although the process is not as expensive in itself, it has to be combined with IVF technique and entails direct injection of the sperm into the egg.