The doctor told about the possible causes of infertility in men

Every fifth married couple in the world has problems with conception, the reason may be in reproductive disorders of both women and men. Davlatnazar Abdrimov, an Invitro urologist, told Izvestia on February 8 why men's ability to conceive decreases with age, what may be the causes of infertility in men and how to act if you suspect infertility.

He specified that infertility is the inability of a couple to achieve pregnancy after 12 months of regular sexual life without contraception due to a violation of reproductive capacity of either one of the partners or jointly. Thus, measures to identify the causes of the lack of conception can be started even before the expiration of one year, based on the anamnesis, taking into account the age of the patient, the results of examinations.

"After 35-40 years of age, male fertility begins to decline. This is due to age-related hormonal changes, with disorders of spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis. However, in the absence of pathologies and conditions affecting reproductive function, men retain a high ability to conceive until the age of 50," - said the interlocutor of the publication.

Male infertility can be idiopathic or develop due to various diseases. Idiopathic infertility is established when its causes are not identified, and in the anamnesis there are no indications of diseases that can affect fertility. In this case, the spermogram, the doctor pointed out, there is a decrease in the total number of sperm (oligozoospermia) and their motility (asthenozoospermia), pathological forms of sperm (teratozoospermia) are detected.

Also male infertility can be a consequence of congenital or acquired disorders of development of genitourinary organs, malignant tumors, infectious and inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system, the impact of physical factors such as increased temperature in the scrotum, exposure to ionizing radiation, toxic effects, endocrine and immunological disorders, genetic abnormalities, erectile or ejaculatory disorders, sexual and psychological disorders.

"The most common cause of the development of infection-related infertility in men is sexually transmitted infections and hepatitis B and C. Among inflammatory diseases that reduce fertility, prostatitis takes the leading position. The inflammatory process can lead to the formation of immunologic form of infertility, disrupting the process of sperm formation", - added the urologist.

Examination for infertility should be started in men and women at the same time. First of all, a urologist or andrologist should be consulted. The main method of assessing male fertility is the determination of ejaculate indicators - spermogram. Men in the absence of achieving conception are recommended to perform a one-time MAR-test - a study for the presence of anti-sperm antibodies in the semen. The analysis allows to identify the immunological causes of male infertility.

Pavel Nizin, a urologist at SberZdorovye medical company, told Izvestia in May 2024 that men are advised to undergo regular preventive examinations and not to hesitate to visit a urologist if they have any complaints related to the genitourinary sphere.