Penile Vibratory Stimulation
Penile Vibratory Stimulation (PVS) is considered first line treatment of inability to ejaculate in men. Common reasons for utilizing PVS may be spinal cord injuries, diabetes mellitus, or medication-induced ejaculatory dysfunction. PVS is an office procedure that is painless and requires no anesthetic or sedation. The procedure involves a specially designed mechanical vibrator being placed […]
Donor Sperm
People choose to use donor sperm for a variety of reasons. If a man is diagnosed with infertility, a couple can choose to obtain donor sperm for in vitro fertilization procedures. Single women and lesbian couples may take advantage of donor sperm for pregnancy. In other instances, couples may seek a sperm donor to avoid […]
Emotional Aspects of Male Fertility
Male infertility affects many aspects of a man’s life and may cause a life crisis. Diagnosis and initiation of treatment are associated with elevated infertility-specific anxiety, and unsuccessful treatment can lead to a state of lasting sadness. Although infertility treatment is now commonplace in men, they often feel as though their masculinity is being questioned, […]
Supplements for Male Fertility
Evidence is limited on the medical benefit of herbs or supplements in increasing male fertility. None of these supplements treats a specific underlying cause of infertility, such as a sperm duct defect or chromosomal disorder. However, there are supplements with studies showing possible benefits for improving sperm count or quality, such as: Coenzyme Q10, Folic […]
Calcium Ionophore
Analysis of eggs after failed fertilization using ICSI showed that more than half of the failures occurred due to oocyte activation failure. Oocyte activation is an early event in fertilization. It is caused by material in the sperm that is thought to induce calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum and also from other structures of […]
Medical Background
The physician will try to find causes for infertility by asking questions about any inherited conditions, chronic health problems, illnesses, injuries or surgeries that could affect fertility. The doctor might also ask about sexual habits and about sexual development during puberty. If the initial inquiry identifies potential causes for the diagnoses, the doctor will ask […]
Physical Examination
Part of determining the factors that contribute to male infertility is to conduct a thorough general physical examination which includes 1) palpating on the testicles on each side to know if any problem related to undescended testicles, neonatal testicles, or retractile testicles is the cause of infertility; 2) examining the size of the testicles (the […]
Hamster Test
The hamster egg penetration test (HEPT) was first developed in the 1970s. It is observed on the observation that upon removal of the zona pellucida of hamster ova, the eggs allowed penetration of sperm by other species. HEPT measures the ability of sperm to undergo capacitation, cause the acrosome reaction, fuse with the egg membrane, and undergo […]
Melatonin and Sperm Quality
While the beneficial nature of melatonin, an endogenous anti-oxidant, has been known for decades, the investigation into the role of melatonin in fertility treatments, in which samples are subjected to considerable oxidative stresses, is still in its infancy. It is known that melatonin receptors are present spermatozoa. Moreover, melatonin, through its neutralization of reactive oxygen […]
Prior Surgeries and Medications
Certain urological surgeries may reduce the number of sperm, or prevent having sperm in your ejaculate completely. These surgeries include vasectomy, scrotal or testicular surgeries, prostate surgeries, and large abdominal surgeries performed for testicular and rectal cancers, among others. The same result can come from certain medications – Testosterone replacement therapy, long-term anabolic steroid use, […]