Causes of Male Factor Infertility

Causes of Male Factor Infertility

Causes of Male Factor Infertility

The most common cause of male factor infertility is low sperm count. Absence of sperm in the semen is less common, affecting only 1 percent of all men and 10 to 15 percent of infertile men. A semen analysis can determine whether male infertility is caused by a low or absent sperm count.
Potential causes of sperm count problems include the following:

  • Hormonal problems of the testicles or pituitary gland
  • Testicular injury or failure, either present at birth (congenital) or associated with radiation or toxic chemical exposure
  • Cancer treatment with certain kinds of chemotherapy or radiation
  • Antibodies that attack sperm (sperm antibodies sometimes develop in a man’s semen when his sperm has been exposed to his immune system outside of the testicles. This may happen after a vasectomy, an infection, or an injury to the testicles.)
  • Drug use (including some prescription medications, as well as marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol)
  • Structural problems, such as:
    • A varicocele in the testicles
    • Blocked ejaculation due to a surgical vasectomy
    • Absence of a vas deferens (a birth defect that may be associated with the cystic fibrosis gene)
    • Retrograde ejaculation (the ejaculation of semen into the bladder rather than out through the penis)
  • Chromosomal problems (such as Klinefelter syndrome)
  • Genetic problems

Other factors that may cause male infertility include:

  • Excessive exercise (Studies have shown that exercising too much may lead to the release of high amounts of steroid hormones)
  • Stress
  • Obesity
  • Heat (from tight clothing, frequent bike riding, hot baths, or saunas)
  • Exposure to toxins and environmental hazards (e.g. pesticides, lead, radiation, radioactive substances, mercury, and heavy metals)

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