6 factors that can cause a man to be infertile

When a wife does not get pregnant, accusations of infertility are often filed against the wife. In fact, as a man, the husband also has the potential to experience fertility problems, so that the couple cannot get pregnant. However, do you know what are the things that can cause a man to be infertile?

Factors that can cause a man to be infertile

Infertility or infertility is actually a problem that can be experienced by both women and men. Fertility problems that arise in men indicate a problem in the reproductive system. Here are some possible causes of male infertility that you need to know.

1. There is a problem with the sperm

To successfully fertilize an egg, a man must produce healthy sperm cells. Sperm cells are classified as healthy if they can swim properly and have an ideal size. Unfortunately, many men have problems with the sperm they produce.

Generally, problems that arise in sperm are the cause of male infertility. Here are some sperm problems that may occur in men.

Azoospermia

Azoospermia is a condition in which the amount of sperm found in the semen that is produced is very low. In fact, it may be that none of the sperm cells are successfully produced. This causes men to be infertile and unable to have children.

Usually, this condition is caused due to genetic or hereditary influences. An abnormality in chromosomes can also cause the number, formation, or size of the sperm to be problematic. These disorders can be located at different locations on the Y chromosome that only a male has.

In certain cases, this part of the Y chromosome may be missing or occurs microdeletion so that a man experiences sterility. However, there are also several other causes that also have the potential to make men infertile, such as:

• The habit of consuming alcohol, products containing tobacco, and certain drugs.
• Viral infection or mumps that occurs after puberty.
• Hernia treatment.
• Hormonal disease.
• Exposure to toxic chemicals.
• Exposure to radiation.
• Blockages that occur due to previous infections.
• Wearing underwear that is too tight.
• Injury to the groin area.

Oligospermia

Slightly different from the previous causes of infertility, oligospermia is a condition in which a man cannot produce a normal sperm count, which is what men generally produce. This means that in the semen that is produced, there are still sperm cells, but in very small amounts.

According to The World Health Organization (WHO) cited in a study in the journal entitled Human Reproduction Update, the sperm count which is considered normal is 15 million sperm cells per millimeter (mL) of semen. If the number of sperm cells produced by a man is lower than this, then the man has oligospermia.

Conditions that are included in the various causes of male infertility, occur due to various conditions and possibly lifestyle choices. One of them is the enlargement of blood vessels in the scrotum, thus interfering with blood flow to the testes. If so, the temperature in the testicles will increase and affect sperm production.

There are also several other conditions that can potentially cause you to experience oligospermia, including:

• Sexually transmitted disease.
• Ejaculation problems.
• Drugs.
• Hormone problems.
• Weight problems, people who are overweight may experience this condition.

Abnormal sperm shape

Normally, sperm is shaped like a tadpole. The head of the sperm is oval and has a long tail. However, if there is an unusual shape, the sperm cell will be considered abnormal. For example, the size of the head is too large or the tail is forked.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2010, the shape (morphology) of sperm is considered normal if at least 4% of sperm are normal. An abnormal sperm cell size has the potential to cause a man to be infertile because it is difficult for sperm to meet, let alone fertilize an egg. Even so, this condition is still quite rare in men compared to the sperm problems previously mentioned.

Sperm motility problems

Not only the number and size of sperm that may be the cause of male infertility. Apparently, the motility of the sperm also has the potential to cause this condition. Sperm motility is divided into two, namely progressive and non-progressive.

Progressive motility means that sperm can swim in a straight motion in a large circle. Meanwhile, sperm with non-progressive motility means that they cannot swim in a straight motion in a narrow circle.

Sperm motility is considered poor if nearly 32% of the total number of sperm it produces cannot move properly. This condition can be caused by various reasons. Even so, poor sperm motility can also occur for no apparent reason.

Poor sperm motility can occur due to damage to the testicles, which can have an impact on the quality of sperm production. Usually, damage to sperm can be caused by several conditions:

• infection
• testicular cancer
• injury

2. Impotent

Impotence is a condition that can cause a man to be infertile. Impotence or erectile dysfunction is the inability of a man to have an erection. Although this can happen to men at any age, this condition is still considered abnormal.

The risk of a man becoming impotent increases with age. However, aging does not cause you to be impotent. Usually, this condition will be experienced by a man because of another health condition he is experiencing.

Some of the things that can cause a man to experience impotence are health conditions, use of certain drugs, trauma, and outside influences. If a man is impotent, it is very likely that he will not be able to have children.

3. Ejaculation problems

There are several types of ejaculation problems that may occur in men. This ejaculation problem can cause a man to be infertile. Here are two ejaculation problems you should be aware of:

Retrograde ejaculation

This ejaculation problem occurs when semen enters the bladder. In fact, semen should come out of the penis during the orgasm process. So, even if you have climaxed during sexual activity, you may only pass small amounts of semen, or even none at all.

This ejaculation may also be referred to as dry orgasm. Actually, this ejaculation problem is not that dangerous. It's just that, it has the potential to cause men to be infertile.

Premature ejaculation

Premature ejaculation is one of the ejaculations that occur earlier than the time it should be. This means that when a man engages in sexual activity, he ejaculates even though he has not reached the climax. This condition may be a little annoying, considering that sexual activity becomes less enjoyable and can have an impact on the relationship between you and your partner.

Usually, premature ejaculation is closely related to erectile dysfunction or impotence. However, sometimes you find it difficult to tell which problem you are experiencing between the two. Even so, both have the potential to cause men to experience infertile conditions.

4. Testicular problems

Problems that have a certain impact on the testicles can also be a factor in men being infertile. Here are some testicular problems that may cause fertility problems in men:

Trauma to the testicles

One of the conditions that may occur in the testicles is trauma. Usually, trauma occurs when the testicle is intentionally injured until the testicle is injured. The reason is, the testicles do not have muscles or bones to protect them. As a result, the testicles are more susceptible to punches, kicks, or other actions that may be done intentionally to hurt the testicles. If the testicles are traumatized, the substances in them can be damaged too.

When the testicles are traumatized, you may experience pain, bruising, or swelling of the testicles. In addition, blood will come out of the scrotum. The amount of blood that comes out will stretch the scrotum until the scrotum is compressed and an infection occurs.

Testicular torsion

Another problem that may occur in the testicles and can cause men to be infertile is testicular torsion. The testes are located in the scrotum and are protected by a structure called the spermatic cord. Sometimes, the spermatic cord is twisted around the testicle, preventing blood flow to the testicle.

This condition is characterized by pain that is sudden, but feels quite severe. In fact, this pain can also cause the testicles to enlarge and swell. This condition is usually experienced by men under the age of 25 and is caused by injury to the testicles due to exertion. However, this condition can also occur due to other things that are not unexpected.

5. Prostatectomy

Did you know that prostatectomy, a treatment for prostate cancer, can be one of the causes of male infertility? Yes, it is almost impossible for a man who has just had his prostate gland removed to have offspring through sexual activity.

Why? The reason is, when undergoing a prostatectomy, both the prostate gland and the seminal vesicles will be removed. In fact, both help semen carry sperm cells to the urethra and out of the penis during ejaculation. So, after surgery you may lose so much semen that ejaculation is almost impossible.

If there is no semen, sperm cells also cannot get out of the body, let alone enter a woman's uterus and fertilize an egg in it.

6. Diabetes

Diabetes experienced by a man also has the potential to cause the man to be infertile. The problem is, diabetes can cause several conditions in the reproductive system. For example, diabetes can cause erectile dysfunction by affecting low testosterone levels.

In addition, due to decreased testosterone, male sex drive also decreases. Not to mention the decreased ability to ejaculate due to diabetes which has an impact on the nerves that can control ejaculation.

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