Approximately one third of infertility causes is due to male infertility.
Most of the infertile men will be able to cause a pregnancy with medical help.
Typically, the male fertility cannot be increased by taking medications but it is now possible to
treat all but the most severe male factors with
in vitro fertilization and
intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
Men can be infertile because they do not produce any sperm. Through testing, it possible to
distinguish between men whose testes are incapable of producing live sperm and those men who
produce sperm but have a blockage in the sperm delivery system.
Blockages can be treated surgically or, more recently,
it is possible to aspirate the sperm from above the blockage and perform the ICSI procedure.
The same technique can be used for men after vasectomy to avoid a vasectomy reversal surgery.
Most infertile men produce sperm. The vast majority of men, who would not be able to cause a
pregnancy with intercourse or artificial insemination, will be able to fertilize their partner's
eggs with
in vitro fertilization. Some men whose sperm would not be able to fertilize eggs
in
vitro will need the ICSI treatment.
Over the recent years, the prospect of being able to conceive one's genetically own child has
increased dramatically for men with male factor infertility at Nova. In situations, where in the past having to use a sperm donor was routine,
we will now almost always be able to use the husband/partner's sperm.
