Little known reasons behind low male fertility

Traditionally, the burden of infertility is placed on women since male infertility is a relatively foreign concept. However, according to the World Health Organization manual for the standardised investigation and diagnosis of the infertile couple, male infertility was found to be the problem in more than 50 percent of couples experiencing conception challenges. One of the conditions affecting male reproductive health is subfertility.

Although subfertility and infertility are sometimes used interchangeably, the two terms are different. According to Dr Joseph Isangha, an obstetrician at Case Hospital in Kampala, subfertility is when a male delays to make a woman pregnant naturally yet he is supposed to. Male infertility refers to an inability to produce or release sperm.

“Male fertility generally depends on the quantity and quality of their sperm. If the number of sperm they ejaculate is low, or if the sperm are of poor quality, it will be difficult, and in some cases impossible, to get a woman pregnant,” says Dr Isangha.

Most pregnancies occur in the first six cycles with intercourse in the fertile phase, but if the couple has been trying unsuccessfully for more than a year, it is possible that there are issues of subfertility. “Subfertility is suspected when a couple is taking longer than normal to have a baby especially if they have had children before.

If the woman is healthy, 30 years and below and has been having unprotected sex at least three times a week with her partner and she is still unable to conceive, it is possible that her partner might be experiencing a fertility issue,” Dr Isangha notes .
The doctor cautions against self-diagnosis and encourages couples experiencing fertility challenges to visit a specialist: “The doctor will check your sperm count, their shape, movement, and other characteristics and will recommend treatment according to their findings.”

Factors that affect the quality of sperm include:
● Endocrine (hormonal) disorders such as gonadotrophin deficiency, thyroid dysfunction, hyperprolactinemia.
● Psychosexual conditions such as erectile dysfunction caused by many things such as depression, etc
● Drugs such as antihypertensive, antipsychotics
● Genetic disorders
● Infections such as mumps, especially after puberty
● Radiations used in the treatment of cancers or metal detectors found in workplaces
● Obstruction of ducts that transport semen as in acquired infections (TB, gonorrhea),
● Surgical procedures as in repair of hernias and vasectomy, among others.
Treatment with lifestyle changes

The good news is that subfertility is easily treated and most couples get pregnant without medical help. After a medical assessment, doctors will advise whether to seek treatment or if lifestyle changes will suffice. Dr Isangha recommends trying a little much longer before starting treatment if you are younger than 35, have only tried for less than two years and you and your partner’s basic fertility testing is normal.

Remedy
Avoid stress
Quit smoking. Men who smoke are more likely to have lower sperm count, density, and motility.
Avoid drugs such as cocaine and heroin, which can affect your ability to get or keep an erection. Other drugs, such as marijuana, can make it hard to produce sperm and reduce your sperm’s motility or prevent them from developing normally.
Adjusting frequency of sexual intercourse
Weight reduction as obesity can affect fertility
Avoid lubricant as it affects sperm motility.
Sometimes couples may have a delay in getting pregnant. Before drawing quick conclusions, consult a specialist to rule out common causes.

Want to test your sperm? There’s an app for that

So you have been trying to conceive for a while, but it is just not happening. You have tried ovulation predictor kits and your partner has even bought a sperm count kit but the ones on the market only test how many sperm there are, not how well they move?
All that changed with the first FDA-approved test to not only count sperm, but see how well they swim. And the test; an app for your phone which means you can test your swimmers at home.

The YO Sperm Test uses an app and a mini-microscope “clip” that goes on the top of your phone, allowing the device to access your phone’s light, focus and recording capabilities. Then you prepare the sample on a slide (kind of like in high school biology class), stick it into the clip, and in two minutes, you will be able to see the moving sperm on your phone’s screen.

In another minute or so, the test results will be ready—and while you wait, the app provides some cheeky “sperm trivia” to lighten the mood. The video and results are then recorded in the app.
Understanding results
Because it is an over-the-counter product, Marcia Deutsch, CEO of Medical Electronic Systems, the parent company of YO Sperm Test says the test cannot reveal actual sperm count values, but rather gives a reading of “low” or “moderate/normal” based on World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for sperm motility (how well they move) and concentration (how many there are). The test reports a composite of these two parameters called “motile sperm concentration,” or the number of moving sperm.

Although three in one hundred cases reported moderate/normal instead of an actual low result in the FDA studies, Deutsch says that number is reduced by the fact that the YO kit contains two tests.

The consumer should run both, as it is a known fact that sperm values change over time based on many factors, such as going in a hot tub. So, the second test should be run one to two weeks later. Additionally, the video of the sperm sample is a good reference for the consumer or a physician to look at for further information.
Is it accurate?
Deutsch says extensive testing was performed on the YO Home Sperm Test for more than four years. The technology is able to read the sperm sample 99 percent of the time, as long as the instructions are followed. [If it can read the test] the results are more than 97 percent accurate based on FDA studies of 316 participants.