1. My husband refuses to get his semen tested. He says that it is thick and voluminous means it must be normal!
Ans – Semen consists mainly of seminal fluid, secreted by the seminal vesicles and the prostate. The volume and consistency of the semen are not related to its fertility potential, which depends upon the sperm count. This can only be assessed by microscopic examination.
2. MY HUSBAND’S SPERM COUNT VARIES EVERY TIME WE TEST IT! HOW DO WE DETERMINE WHAT THE “REAL” SPERM COUNT IS?
Ans – Even a normal (fertile) man’s sperm count can vary considerably from week to week. Sperm count and motility can be affected by many factors, including the time between ejaculations, illness, and medications. There are other factors that affect sperm count as well, all of which we do not understand.
3. I HAVE NO PROBLEMS HAVING SEX SINCE I AM VIRILE, MY SPERM COUNT MUST BE NORMAL.
Ans – There is no correlation between male fertility and virility. Men with totally normal sex drives may have no sperm at all.
4. MY SEMEN ANALYSIS REPORT SHOWS I HAVE NO SPERM IN THE SEMEN(AZOOSPERMIA). IS THIS BECAUSE I USE TO MASTURBATE EXCESSIVELY AS A BOY?
Ans – Masturbation is a normal activity that most boys and men indulge in. It does not affect sperm count. You cannot “run” out of sperms, because these are constantly being produced in the testes.
5. MY WIFE IS FRIGID AND DOES NOT ENJOY HAVING SEX. COULD THIS BE THE REASON FOR HER INFERTILITY?
There is no connection between sexual pleasure and fertility. Don’t forget that even a woman who gets raped can get pregnant! And don’t forget that women do not enjoy sex because their husbands are unskilled lovers! Maybe you should improve your sexual technique, and spend more time in foreplay and in pleasuring your wife!
6. WHAT CAUSES OF MALE INFERTILITY?
- Exposure to toxic chemicals or radiation
- A genetic disorder such as Klinefelter’s syndrome
- Taking frequent, long hot tub baths
- Alcohol, tobacco or drug abuse
- A severe mumps infection as an adolescent or adult
- Hormone disorders of the pituitary gland, testicles, thyroid or adrenal glands
- Infections of the genital organs cause blockage of the sperm passages
- Wearing tight shorts and underwear all the time
- Malformed sperm that cannot swim properly or have a short lifespan
- Early ejaculation or retrograde ejaculation
- Inability to keep an erection (erectile dysfunction)
- A complication of radiation therapy or surgery
7.WHAT IS “TESE” OR “MESA”?
TESE (Testicular Sperm Extraction): Sperm collected out of the testicles after the operation.
MESA (Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration): Sperm collected from the epididymis after the operation.
TESE or MESA is a technique developed for patients with no sperm cells in their sperm due to an undeveloped or obstructed spermatic cord. The cause of obstruction can be former sterilization or an infection of the epididymis. When the testicles make no sperm cells at all, of course, TESE or MESA is not possible. If sperm cells are obtained, an ICSI procedure (Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection) will follow. ICSI is like IVF; only now one sperm cell is injected into an egg to fertilize it and make an embryo.
8. WHAT DOES SPERM PREPARATION MEAN?
Spermatozoa are ejaculated in the seminal fluid during intercourse or masturbation. During assisted reproduction, the spermatozoa are extracted from the semen by a series of processes – centrifugation and washing, layering (to select the active sperm and leave the immotile or dead sperm behind) or selecting the best sperm by making them swim through a denser medium and using those that succeed.