7 things That Cause Early Infertility in Men

7 things That Cause Early Infertility in Men


It is a common notion among people that infertility or the inability to make a baby likes with a woman and a man is absolutely fine. You will be surprised to know that 70% of all infertility cases are because of the man but not the woman. There are many reasons behind early infertility in men with producing inadequate sperms being the main reason. It takes one out of million sperms to fertilise the egg and when there are not enough sperms, fertilisation fails. Sehat.com infertility specialists suggest that many couples who cannot conceive have bright chances to have a baby if they can identify the reason and work towards it.

Infertility in men can also be due to a few medical reasons like obstruction to the testicles, cysts or tumours in the reproductive system, varicocele, infections and premature ejaculation or a hormone imbalance. More than anything else, the overall health of a man plays a key role in having a healthy reproductive system. Here are a few reasons behind early infertility in men.

1. Smoking and alcohol consumption – Nicotine and alcohol abuse have both been known to reduce sperm production and sperm motility in the male reproductive system. Men who just cannot get rid of these habits can never get over infertility.

2. Intense physical exercise – In a bid to shed all their flab and maintain flawless bodies, men resort to extreme physical fitness regimes that take a toll on their reproductive system. Intense and prolonged hours of exercise produces very high levels of adrenals steroid hormones that reduce testosterone in men. This in turn causes lack of healthy sperms.

3. Infections of the reproductive system – Men who are affected with sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhoea, syphilis and chlamydia often have difficulty in conceiving. Inflammation of the prostate gland can lead to low sperm count and difficulty of the sperm to travel into the penis. If there is no permanent testicular damage, sperms can be retrieved mechanically and used for in-vitro fertilisation.

4. Premature ejaculation – Though the sperm count and motility are good, sometimes the sperm isn’t ejaculated into the vagina. Prematurely it is either pushed out or retrograde ejaculation occurs where the sperm enters the bladder. Special conditions like diabetes, injuries of the spine, bladder infections, surgeries of the urethra and the prostate gland are a few reasons behind such cases.

5. Varicocele – A very common reason behind infertility in men is the varicocele where the testicles swell into huge proportions and drain all the sperms. Medically, this condition can be reversed and can be done by improving sperm count naturally.

6. Thyroid and diabetes – Men and women equally suffer from these two health problems that have a drastic affect on the overall well-being. When the thyroid gland produces either an excess or a deficit amount of thyroxin, the other male hormones that are dependent on thyroxin suffer and do not function properly. Similarly, when the body experiences insulin ups and downs, it causes testosterone malfunctioning, decreasing sperm count and affecting the vitality of the sperms.

7. Environmental effects – Men working under extreme hot environments or those who are exposed to x-rays, lead, arsenic, pesticides, paints and other chemicals experience testicular malfunctioning and low sperm count. The harmful materials can reduce the vitality of the male reproductive system and cause fertility. Sitting with a heated laptop too accounts for weak sperms.

If there is no positive result inspite of trying to conceive for a long time, it is time to approach an IVF Specialist in Delhi and get the problem identified and solved. The sooner, the better it is.

Reviewed By:

Dr. Kaushal M. Bhavsar (MBBS, MD)

Assistant Professor in Pulmonary Medicine, GMERS Medical College, Ahmedabad