Male Infertility | Infertility | MedlinePlus

Male Infertility | Infertility | MedlinePlus

Male Infertility

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

• Intracytoplasmic sperm injection
• Reifenstein syndrome
• Retrograde ejaculation
• Semen analysis
• Sperm release pathway
• Testicular biopsy

Related Health Topics

• Assisted Reproductive Technology
• Female Infertility
• Infertility

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Male Infertility is theEunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

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Summary

Infertility is a term doctors use if a man hasn't been able to get a woman pregnant after at least one year of trying. Causes of male infertility include

• Physical problems with the testicles
• Blockages in the ducts that carry sperm
• Hormone problems
• A history of high fevers or mumps
• Genetic disorders
• Lifestyle or environmental factors

About a third of the time, infertility is because of a problem with the man. One third of the time, it is a problem with the woman. Sometimes no cause can be found.

If you suspect you are infertile, see your doctor. There are tests that may tell if you have fertility problems. When it is possible to find the cause, treatments may include medicines, surgery, or assisted reproductive technology. Happily, many couples treated for infertility are able to have babies.

NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Start Here

• How Common is Male Infertility, and What Are Its Causes? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
• Male Infertility (American Academy of Family Physicians)Also in Spanish
• Male Infertility (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Diagnostic Testing for Male Factor Infertility (American Society for Reproductive Medicine) - PDFAlso in Spanish
• Semen Analysis  (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
• Testosterone Levels Test  (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Assisted Reproductive Technology: MedlinePlus Health Topic  (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
• Healthy Sperm: Improving Your Fertility (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
• Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) (American Society for Reproductive Medicine)Also in Spanish
• Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
• What Treatment Options Are Available for Male Infertility? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

Living With

• Foods That Can Affect Fertility (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)

Related Issues

• Fertility Issues in Boys and Men with Cancer  (National Cancer Institute)
• Finasteride (Propecia/Proscar) and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF
• Low Testosterone and Men's Health (Hormone Health Network)Also in Spanish
• Optimizing Male Fertility (American Society for Reproductive Medicine)

Specifics

• Dry Orgasm (Orgasm without Discharge of Semen)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
• Low Sperm Count (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
• Sperm Shape (Morphology): Does It Affect Fertility? (American Society for Reproductive Medicine)Also in Spanish

Genetics

• Genetics Home Reference: 48,XXYY syndrome  (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: CATSPER1-related nonsyndromic male infertility (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: globozoospermia  (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: macrozoospermia  (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: sensorineural deafness and male infertility (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita  (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Y chromosome infertility  (National Library of Medicine)
• Learning about Klinefelter Syndrome  (National Human Genome Research Institute)

Videos and Tutorials

• Causes of Male Infertility  (American Society for Reproductive Medicine)
• Sperm release pathway  (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

• High Plasticizer Levels In Males Linked to Delayed Pregnancy for Female Partners (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
• Infertility Research at the NICHD  (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Infertility, Male  (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Oligospermia  (National Institutes of Health)

Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Non-Robertsonian translocations involving chromosomes 13, 14, or 15 in male infertility:... 
• Article: The relevance of MTHFR C677T, A1298C, and MTRR A66G polymorphisms with... 
• Article: Effects of N-acetyl-cysteine supplementation on sperm quality, chromatin integrity and level... 
• Male Infertility -- see more articles 

Find an Expert

• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)Also in Spanish
• Find a Urologist (Urology Care Foundation)

Patient Handouts

• Semen analysis (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
• Testicular biopsy (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish