Unfortunately, discussing the problems a couple are experiencing when trying to conceive is still considered strange even though this is now quite a common situation. Couples feel helpless and isolated when they learn that they have little chance of conceiving and while this is not necessarily a disease, this disorder can cause the same amount of stress and dismay for both partners.
The problems associated with male infertility can still be difficult for the man but there are many falsehoods about the condition that really need to be addressed. It is always easier to make decisions when they have been reached because the correct information has been supplied.
Infertility is expressed as a condition that occurs if a couple has been trying for a baby for a year and where a woman is concerned, when she has failed to carry a child for the full term of the pregnancy. Male infertility is generally connected with hormonal disorders, obstruction in the reproductive system, sexual dysfunction, or recurring illness and is actually the state of inability rather than a specific disease. To find out why a man is infertile, it is now common practice to look closely at his family history and current lifestyle habits, however even if the cause is found it is a sad fact that approximately fifty percent of men will remain infertile.
Male infertility falls into two main categories; those that have had it all their lives and those that have developed it at some point. Cases of congenital male infertility have been present since the person’s birth whereas acquired male infertility has been caused by outside influences.
Where the infertility is diagnosed as acquired, it could be the result of a disease such as diabetes (but there are others including those that are sexually transmitted) or from high blood pressure to medical treatment that required the use of radiation. There are also occasions where the man has a debilitating condition like a serious fever, an infection or kidney problems that can start the infertility condition.
The male hormone testosterone is responsible for the development of the male sexual organs and where there is a reduction in this hormone then infertility can result. Over the years the methods fertility specialists have developed has been refined and now the causes of infertility in a couple starts with the male as it is easier to look for inconsistencies in the male’s reproductive system than in a female’s reproductive system.
Initially the fertility specialist will ask the man questions about his family’s medical history to see if there is any indication that the infertility is of congenital origin. This makes recommending possible treatments much simpler as they each treat different conditions and with male infertility this means that there is an improved chance of successfully curing the infertility problem.