Impaired fertility or male infertility is one of the factors that can prevent couples from having children. This condition can be caused by various things, ranging from hormonal disorders to abnormalities in the male reproductive organs.
Infertility or infertility problems can be experienced by both men and women. To detect whether a man has infertility problems as well as determine the cause, it is necessary to have a fertility test by a doctor.
You and your partner can undergo the examination if you have not yet been blessed with a child, even though you have regularly had sex without a condom for 1 year or more.
Various Causes of Infertility in Men
Male infertility can occur when a man can't produce enough sperm, good quality sperm, or can't produce sperm at all (azoospermia).
This condition can be caused by various things, such as hormonal disorders, physical disorders, and psychological problems. The following are various causes of male infertility that are important for you to know:
1. Thyroid disorders
Thyroid hormone functions to regulate the body's metabolism and the performance of the male reproductive organs, including the production and quality of sperm.
Therefore, when thyroid hormone problems, for example due to excess thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism) or thyroid hormone deficiency (hypothyroidism), a man can experience infertility.
2. Hyperprolactinemia
It is estimated that about 10-40% of cases of male infertility are caused by hyperprolactinemia or a condition when the level of the hormone prolactin in the blood increases dramatically to exceed normal limits.
Prolactin levels that are too high can affect sperm production, desire for sex or libido, to impotence.
3. Hypogonadotropic hypopituitarism
Hypogonadotropic hypopituitarism is a condition in which the production of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and -hormone is low luteinizing (LH) in the pituitary gland. The low production of FSH and LH can trigger a decrease in the number and quality of sperm, causing male infertility.
4. Genetic disorders
Genetic disorders are also one of the causes of male infertility. This disorder can make the male reproductive organs unable to work properly or there are problems with the male sex hormone (testosterone), so that it affects the production, movement, and quality of sperm.
Some diseases due to genetic disorders that can make a man infertile or infertile are congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Klinefelter syndrome, and Kallmann syndrome.
5. Panhypopituitarism
Panhypopituitarism is a condition when the pituitary gland in the brain cannot produce hormones properly. As a result, various organ systems in the body can be disrupted, including the reproductive organs.
In men, this condition can cause infertility and other disorders, such as small testicle size, impotence, breast enlargement, and decreased sexual desire.
6. Infection
Infection and inflammation of the male reproductive organs can cause male infertility. Some infectious diseases that can cause infertility in men are inflammation of the testicles, inflammation of the prostate or prostatitis, urinary tract infections, to sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV, gonorrhea, and syphilis.
7. Varicocele
Varicocele is a condition where the blood vessels in the testicles widen, causing the quality and quantity of sperm to be disturbed. This causes about 15-40 percent of men to experience infertility.
8. Sperm duct abnormalities
Sperm ducts can be damaged or blocked due to injury, infection, inflammation, to birth defects.
This condition can make it difficult or difficult for sperm to be expelled from the penis, so they cannot fertilize an egg. As a result, men who experience it will experience infertility or infertility.
9. Testicular torsion
Testicular torsion is a condition when the testicles or testicles are twisted, so that blood flow to this organ is disrupted. Testicular torsion can cause sudden, severe pain in the testicles and is sometimes accompanied by swelling of the scrotum or testicles.
This condition is an emergency that must be treated immediately. Otherwise, this condition will cause damage to the testicles and male infertility.
10. Retrograde ejaculation
Male infertility can be caused by retrograde ejaculation disorders. Retrograde ejaculation is a condition when semen does not come out through the penis during orgasm, but instead enters the bladder.
The trigger for retrograde ejaculation is a complication of prostate, bladder, or urinary tract surgery. In addition, the condition can also occur due to the side effects of certain drugs or diabetes.
11. Sexual problems
Male infertility can occur due to sexual problems such as impotence, premature ejaculation, and ejaculatory incompetence. Men who experience impotence or erectile dysfunction will have difficulty getting an erection or maintaining an erection. Men who experience impotence can also experience decreased libido or sexual desire.
Premature ejaculation causes fertility problems when ejaculation occurs before the penis is actually in the vagina. Meanwhile, ejaculatory incompetence is a condition that makes men unable to ejaculate during sexual intercourse, but can do so when masturbating.
12. Cancer or tumor
Various cancers or tumors, such as tumors of the pituitary gland in the brain, testicular cancer, and tumors of the adrenal glands, can affect the male reproductive organs and cause infertility in men.
In addition, the side effects of cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, can also cause infertility in men.
13. Drug side effects
Certain drugs, especially those used in the long term or in high doses, can cause side effects in the form of disturbances in sperm count and quality, causing male infertility.
Some examples of drugs that can cause side effects such as fertility problems in men are corticosteroids, hormone replacement therapy, antipsychotics, and illegal drugs, including marijuana and cocaine.
In addition to the various causes above, male infertility can also be caused by complications from certain surgical procedures, such as vasectomy, hernia surgery, surgery on the scrotum and prostate, and testicular surgery.
Factors that Increase the Risk of Male Infertility
In addition to the various causes above, there are factors that can increase the risk of male infertility, including:
- Age increase
- Smoking habits and excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages
- Use of illegal drugs
- Often wear pants that are too tight
- Exposure to harmful substances, such as pesticides, mercury, heavy metals, benzene and borium
Male infertility can be caused by many conditions or diseases. Therefore, this condition needs to be checked by a doctor so that the cause can be detected and treated as early as possible. To determine whether a man is infertile or not, doctors can perform fertility tests.
If you and your partner have not been blessed with children even though you have had regular unprotected sexual intercourse for 1 year or more, consult your doctor about the problem. The doctor will perform an examination to detect signs of male infertility and find out the cause.
