Causes of Infertility

One area of fertility where there's more myth than real fact being circulated on the Internet is the subject of masturbation and infertility — especially how masturbation may affect a man's ability to get his partner pregnant. The truth may surprise you. Does it expend precious resources? Th ...Continue Reading

There are many causes of infertility in men. Some causes can be congenital, which is present at birth. Other causes of infertility are acquired, which means the male develops infertility later in life caused by other problems. Here are some of the reasons for infertility in men. Low Sperm Count and ...Continue Reading

If you're interested in conceiving or are planning to raise a family at some point down the line, you should be aware of potential risks to your fertility. A wide variety of health concerns may compromise female fertility, some of them easily remedied and some of them without recourse. One of the mo ...Continue Reading

No longer are millions of swimming sperm required to fertilize a singe egg. The development of in vitro fertility (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) have changed the biological requirements for human reproduction. Now only a single sperm is required, and it doesn’t even have to ...Continue Reading

About 40 percent of men with male infertility have a condition that does not fall neatly into any of the known causes. Many of these may be genetic, but medical science has not yet worked out the genetic causes fully. In fact, it is just scratching the surface. Some of these causes may be environme ...Continue Reading

Male age has a much smaller impact on fertility than female age. In fact, sperm counts and motility do not necessarily decline with age alone, nor do pregnancy rates. However, age can exacerbate pre-existing fertility disorders. Certain genetic causes of low sperm counts will cause progressive decl ...Continue Reading

Substance abuse, whether via smoke or in pill form, can have a major impact on sperm levels. Cigarette smoking increases antioxidants in the semen, which impair sperm function. Second-hand smoke affects the woman’s reproductive health as well as the health of a developing fetus. Smoking shoul ...Continue Reading

Acute illness with high fever will impair sperm production, usually temporarily. The effects are related mostly to the higher than normal temperature in the testicle. Recovery takes time, often over six months for the sperm counts to fully rebound. Chronic illness also effects fertility. Sickle cel ...Continue Reading

Sperm production requires a slightly cooler temperature than body temperature. This is why the testicles are not inside the body like the ovaries are, but instead are positioned in the scrotum, which allows them to “hang out.” In fact, the scrotum is lined with a very specialized layer ...Continue Reading

Environmental toxins can impair sperm production. Oil refineries are amongst the most implicated work places. Excessive heat exposure can reduce sperm counts in firemen and welders. Other work place exposures may have an impact but they are difficult to characterize. Cadmium, lead, mercury, vinyl c ...Continue Reading