In previous centuries it was deemed that infertility only occurred in the woman but it is now known that infertility can affect the man too. In some cases it affects the woman, the man or both. Here are the reasons why a man could be infertile.

  • Antisperm antibodies. When your own immune system is your enemy it can be difficult to conceive. Sometimes the body attacks the sperm as if it were a foreign body so their ability to penetrate the egg is impaired.
  • Smoking. Smoking cigarettes can impair sperm production in the sense that low sperm counts and slow sperm movement could occur.
  • Alcohol. Drinking alcohol can affect the sperm count, disrupt hormonal balances and it can interfere with sexual performance.
  • Excessive exercise. When men exercise excessively the heat created by the intense exercise builds up around the testicles and can affect sperm production.
  • Recreational drugs. It has been discovered that recreational drugs is linked to low sperm counts in men which can lead to infertility.
  • Tight underwear. Men who wear tight underwear have low sperm production. It is advisable that men wear loose fitting underwear like boxers if you want to avoid this form of infertility.
  • Saunas and hot baths. Saunas, hot baths, spas and hot tubs create direct and intense heat around the testicles. This heat can impair the production of sperm.
  • Azoospermia. This is the absence of sperm in the ejaculate. This may be due to an obstruction at the vas deferens, the epididymis or at the testes level. This could be the result of mumps or other previous infections or it could be associated with the history of undescended testes.
  • Retrograde ejaculation. In this case sperm is propelled backwards rather than forward and out for conception to start.
  • Hormonal imbalances. Hormonal imbalances like with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is where a specific hormone which is released by the hypothalamus is deficient. This can be one of the causes of male infertility.

It is a good idea to live a healthy and well balanced lifestyle to ensure that your body can perform optimally, especially during reproduction. Although male infertility is not that uncommon certain cases can be treated by a fertility specialist .