Medical Conditions and Male Infertility Treatment

According to the Mayo Clinic, 20% of the cause of a couple’s infertility can be attributed to the male. Certain medical conditions can affect male infertility treatment, from illness to physical defects. Knowing what can cause male infertility can help a couple make important decisions about male infertility treatment and the best approach to the problem. It can also help eliminate unnecessary diagnostic testing, saving money, time and frustration.

Conditions Affecting Male Infertility Treatment

Common medical conditions that can affect male infertility treatment include diabetes, allergies, obesity and temporary infections involving the prostate, urethra and epididymis. Sexually transmitted diseases can also affect male infertility treatment. The good news is these conditions are easily rectified, and once complete, male infertility treatment is often successful. The trick is to identify the problem and initiate treatment as soon as possible.

Physical Abnormalities

In addition to common medical conditions that can affect male infertility, there are common physical abnormalities which can compromise male infertility treatment. Among these are congenital defects such as the absence of the vas deferens or undescended testes. A varicocele, or varicose vein in the scrotal sac, can interfere with maintaining the normal temperature of the sperm and this could have a detrimental effect on sperm count. Male hypogonadism, or a deficiency in the testosterone level, can also affect male infertility treatment as can cystic fibrosis.

Other Medical Conditions and Male Infertility Treatment

Sometimes the conditions interfering with male infertility treatment seem quite obvious. Chemotherapy can severely compromise male fertility, as can certain surgeries. However, sometimes the cause for male infertility is not so clear. Certain childhood illnesses, such as mumps, can cause infertility in males as well as undiagnosed diseases like thyroid disease and anemia. Therefore, it is important for males to give a comprehensive medical history to their physician to ascertain any hidden medical conditions compromising male infertility treatment.

What Is the Next Step in Male Infertility Treatment?

Once the underlying cause of male infertility is identified, the next step is repair or treatment for the condition. In many cases, surgical repair of physical abnormalities is simple and easily accomplished. Infections or sexually transmitted diseases typically require a course of antibiotics. Other more serious conditions will require specific treatment, and the treating physician should be informed if the affected male is involved in trying to conceive (in case this makes a difference in the choice of treatment plans).

Although tracking down the exact cause of male infertility can be difficult, often a comprehensive medical history in addition to a thorough physical can help narrow down the possible causes. Today, many technological advances have made it possible to initiate male infertility treatment, and according to Discovery Health, once the cause of male infertility is identified, 80 to 85% of  couples coping with infertility issues successfully achieve conception.

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