How can IVF help Male Fertility? All you need to know

When a couple struggles to conceive, it could be due to factors with either the male or female partner or both. Doctors are sometimes unable to identify a clear cause of infertility in either partner but in 50% of the cases it could be due to male fertility issues. Will you be able to father your own child with defects in the sperm? The answer is Yes. So, if you and your partner have been attempting to conceive but have had no success, speak with a fertility specialist or go for infertility counselling. They can talk to you and run tests to try to figure out what’s wrong and whether treatment would be beneficial and if yes what treatment.

What is Male Infertility?

Male infertility refers to reproductive health issues in men that lowers the chances of their female partner getting pregnant. It is the inability to make sperm or healthy sperm capable of fertilizing a female egg. Male infertility is a contributing factor in 40% of infertile couples. So, what are the various causes leading to male fertility issues?

Causes of Male Infertility

• Varicocele — an abnormal collection of bulging veins above the testicle; they’re the most common cause of correctable male infertility, accounting for 38% of cases
• Undescended testicle
• Obstruction anywhere in the urogenital tract that is hampering the passage from production site
• Infections in the testicle, the prostate, or elsewhere in the body that causes a fever
• Chemotherapy for cancer
• Medicines such as anabolic steroids or anti-seizure medicines
• Genetic abnormalities
• Hormonal problems

Symptoms

Patient may have complaint of erection or ejaculation: Erectile dysfunction (Impotence): inability to have and maintain an erect penis during sex, Dry orgasm having normal erection but the semen is ejaculated in to the bladder and not expelled outside Premature ejaculation: inability to deposit the semen sample in to vagina of female partner, the time duration between erection and ejaculation is decreased. On the other hand, genetic and chromosomal disorders, as well as sperm production and delivery issues, usually don’t have any specific complaints other than the inability to conceive.

Testing for Male Infertility

In most cases, male fertility testing entails:

• General physical examination and medical history to acquire a better picture of the overall health of a patient.
• Semen analysis provides information on the number of sperm with good structure and shape (morphology), the quantity produced, sperm motility (movement), and sperm quality.
• Hormonal Profile can indicate that sperm production is normal and there is some defect in the passage or vice versa
• Transrectal Ultrasound to evaluate internal reproductive organ abnormalities.
• Testicular Biopsy to determine the presence of cancer or sperm production

Treatment for Male Infertility

In many cases, the reasons for male infertility cannot be determined. Even if the exact cause is unknown, your doctor may be able to suggest medications or procedures that will help you become pregnant. In vitro fertilization for male infertility is one of the most advanced techniques that helps in conceiving their own child. The technique allows us to combine each egg with a high concentration of highly motile sperm through IVF treatment process or inject a sperm into the egg (ICSI). Fertilization is far more likely to occur as a result.

What are the steps during  IVF treatment?

IVF for male infertility entails a number of steps that must be completed by both the man and the woman.

• The female partner will be given ovarian stimulation medications. The goal is to stimulate her ovaries to produce as many eggs as possible in a safe manner.
• After that, the woman will have a brief outpatient procedure to retrieve her mature eggs
• The embryologists will combine the eggs with sperm provided by the male partner on-site or at home. They may use ICSI to help with fertilisation.
• The resulting embryo will be transferred to the female partner’s uterus by the fertility doctor, who will then monitor her for pregnancy.

If you want to learn more about IVF for male infertility and the various reasons for male infertility, please contact us to set up an appointment for infertility counselling. The Motherhood Fertility & IVF Center  looks forward to answering all your treatment-related queries and helping increase fertility in men.