Unfair as it may seem, when a couple is unable to conceive a baby, the blame is usually placed on the woman. But what is infertility, after all? It is the inability of the sperm of the male to impregnate the egg of the female. So obviously, the man has a great deal to do with it as well!
There are a number of issues that a man may have that may be responsible for infertility. A man may suffer from abnormally large varicocles (varicose veins) on the testes, which may interfere with fertility. The size of the testes is also important when we are answering the question of what is infertility. Small or soft testicles may be responsible for sperm formation. If the testicles are normal sized and the sperm count is low, however, the diagnosing doctor may suspect some obstruction. A doctor will also take the temperature of the scrotum, since increased temperature is thought to interfere with sperm mobility.
Once an external examination takes place, the fertility specialist will require a sperm specimen to further diagnose what is. Infertility can very often be caused by low sperm count, poor sperm motility or poor sperm morphology (the shape of the sperm). There is quite a bit about the man's infertility that the fertility specialist will be able to learn from a sample of the semen.
The amount of semen is also important since any quantities outside of the norm of 2.5 to 5 milliters may indicate prostate problems or some kind of blockage. The liquidity of the semen is also measured since illiquid semen may indicate lack of sperm. The amount of sugar in the sperm is measured because an absence indicates an obstruction, whereas fructose in the semen with no sperm means there is a problem with the production of sperm.
Other components of the semen are measured as well to find the answer to the what is infertility question:
- White blood cells are counted to find out if there is any infection.
- Levels of inhibin B may indicate a blockage in the seminiferous tubules.
- Low levels of alpha-glucosidase, may indicate blockage in the epididymis.
Next, the doctor may perform certain blood tests to learn if the semen is normal. These will tell him if tesosterone levels are low, or if there are any infections that may affect fertility.
Finally, the sperm will be tested for penetration. Usually this involves testing the cervical mucus of the woman within a few hours of having sex. If there is no sperm, or only dead sperm, this mucus is tested for infection.
So we see that there are many ways that the male partner may be implicated in the what is infertility question. In most cases, it is a combination of factors, for a man with low sperm count may impregnate a woman if she is very fertile, or a subfertile woman may become pregnant if her partner has a very strong sperm count and motility.
