If you and your partner have tried to conceive repeatedly without any luck, it may be time to consider the potential causes of infertility. Generally, it should be expected that fertilization may not occur for several weeks or even months after beginning to try. However, if the process takes longer than that, there may very well be something the matter with the fertilization process. This can be due to a number of factors, many of which are medical conditions that affect either the man, the woman or both. Although it's not the most common problem for men, a lack of ejaculate is certainly a problem that merits addressing.
Understanding Semen
Semen is the substance that delivers the sperm into the vagina and to the egg for fertilization. Without the mode of transportation to reach the egg, the man's sperm will have no way of reaching the egg, and thus no way of fertilizing. This problem may or may not be obvious; if so, speak with a fertility doctor as soon as possible after you've recognized the lack of semen.
What Are the Causes?
There are a few different potential causes of a lack of semen during an ejaculation. One of the main causes is quite rare, and it's likely that the man will already know about any prior damage; it involves the spinal cord. Certain spinal injuries and deformations can result in an improper flow of information between the sex organs and the various parts of the body responsible for semen production. The result is that semen is not produced in adequate amounts. Another problem that spinal injuries can cause is that they can cinch of the nerves that allow the semen to travel through and out the urethra. This may be a larger problem for men, in that semen is still being produced but there is no way for it to escape the body.
There are some other diseases that may contribute to a lack of semen as well. These include various sexually transmitted diseases and a series of rare nerve conditions.
Diagnosing the Problem
It is typically fairly easy to tell if you do not have semen during an ejaculation. However, diagnosing the source of the problem can be quite a bit more difficult. In many cases, a fertility doctor will only be able to help to direct you toward another specialist who can provide more answers. It's especially important that you have a good sense of your own medical history when you visit a fertility specialist to ask about this problem. You may need to also visit a spinal specialist or another type of doctor to get to the bottom of this as well.
Treating this condition requires that you address the fundamental cause. This often requires surgery or a prescription of a series of corrective medicines. If you experience a lack of semen, speak with a fertility doctor right away.
