Causes of Male infertility
List of causes of Male infertility
Following is a list of causes or underlying conditions
(see also Misdiagnosis of underlying causes of Male infertility)
that could possibly cause Male infertility includes:
- Sperm quality problems:
- Low sperm count
- Defective sperm production
- Oligospermia - low sperm count
- Azoospermia - lack of sperm
- Blocked seminal ducts
- Seminal fluid disorders
- Heat may reduce sperm potency:
- Chronic high fever
- Exercise before sex
- Hot bath before sex
- Various possible underlying causes of usually-temporary poor sperm quality or low counts:
- Certain hormonal disorders - affecting sperm quality:
- Testicle disorders - affecting sperm production
- Testicle duct blockage - affecting sperm delivery
- Retrograde ejaculation - reverse ejaculation into the bladder, which may occur for various reasons:
- Inability to ejaculate - this can have various underlying causes:
- Certain chromosome disorders
- XXY males
- Certain medications
- Orchitis - male infertility
- Primary ciliary dyskinesia, 6 - male infertility
- Cushing's syndrome - impaired male fertility
- Chromosome Y deletion - male infertility
- Adverse reaction to chemical - 1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane - impaired male fertility
- 5-Alpha reductase deficiency
- Cyproterone
- Kallmann syndrome
- Alcoholism
- Primary ciliary dyskinesia - male infertility
- Factor XIII, B subunit Deficiency - male infertility
- Diethylstilbestrol antenatal infection - impaired male fertility
- Cushing syndrome, familial - impaired male fertility
- Sulphasalazine
- Anaemia
- Necrospermia
- Immotile cilia syndrome, due to defective radial spokes - male infertility
- Forbes-Albright syndrome - decreased sperm
- Cystic fibrosis - male infertility
- Haemochromatosis
- Spironolactone
- Hyperthyroidism
- Chemical poisoning - 1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane - impaired male fertility
- Germinal cell aplasia
- Cyclophosphamide
- Undescended testes
- Hyperpituitarism
- Premature ejaculation
- Aspermia (see Male infertility)
- Immotile cilia syndrome, due to excessively long cilia - male infertility
- Adrenal Cortex Diseases - impaired male fertility
- Myotonic dystrophy
- Pituitary tumour
- Kennedy's disease
- Subnormal sperm count
- Factor XIII, A1 subunit Deficiency - male infertility
- Factor XIII Deficiency - male infertility
- Trifluperidol
- Haloperidol
- Cryptorchism (maldescended or ectopic testis)
- Incomplete androgen insensitivity
- Gonadal dysgenesis (male)
- Lack of seminal plasma
- Dietetic deficiency
- Syphilis
- Cytotoxic therapeutic agents
- Antipsychotic agents
- Isolated lutropin deficiency
- Galactorrhoea-Hyperprolactinaemia
- Defective germ plasma
- Primary ciliary dyskinesia, 2 - male infertility
- Ciliary dyskinesia, due to transposition of ciliary microtubules - male infertility
- Epididymo-orchitis
- Colchicine
- Young's syndrome
- Mental over-work
- Tuberculosis
- Spermatogenic failure, nonobstructive, Y-linked - male infertility
- Primary ciliary dyskinesia, 3 - male infertility
- Vasectomy
- Klinefelter syndrome - male infertility
- Hypothyroidism
- Primary ciliary dyskinesia, 4 - male infertility
- Factor XIII deficiency, congenital - male infertility
- Hypopituitarism
- Varicocoele
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy - male infertility
- Primary ciliary dyskinesia, 5 - male infertility
- Bloom Syndrome - male infertility
- Ethanol
- Kartagener's syndrome
- Incomplete penetration
- Failure to ejaculate
More causes:
see full list of causes for Male infertility
Causes of Male infertility (Diseases Database):
The follow list shows some of the possible medical causes of Male infertility
that are listed by the Diseases Database:
Source: Diseases Database
Male infertility Causes: Book Excerpts
Male infertility as a complication of other conditions:
Other conditions that might have
Male infertility as a complication may,
potentially, be an underlying cause of Male infertility.
Our database lists the following as having
Male infertility as a complication of that condition:
Male infertility as a symptom:
Conditions listing Male infertility
as a symptom may also be potential underlying causes of Male infertility.
Our database lists the following as having
Male infertility as a symptom of that condition:
- Azoospermia
- Bloom Syndrome
- Chromosome Y deletion
- Ciliary dyskinesia, due to transposition of ciliary microtubules
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Factor XIII Deficiency
- Factor XIII deficiency, congenital
- Factor XIII, A1 subunit Deficiency
- Factor XIII, B subunit Deficiency
- Immotile cilia syndrome, due to defective radial spokes
- Immotile cilia syndrome, due to excessively long cilia
- Klinefelter syndrome
- Oligospermia
- Primary ciliary dyskinesia
- Primary ciliary dyskinesia, 2
- Primary ciliary dyskinesia, 3
- Primary ciliary dyskinesia, 4
- Primary ciliary dyskinesia, 5
- Primary ciliary dyskinesia, 6
- Spermatogenic failure, nonobstructive, Y-linked
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Medications or substances causing Male infertility:
The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible
causes of Male infertility as a symptom.
This list is incomplete and various other drugs or substances
may cause your symptoms.
Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using,
including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.
See full list of 14
medications causing Male infertility
What causes Male infertility?
Article excerpts about the
causes of Male infertility:
Lifestyle can influence the number and quality of a man's sperm.
Alcohol and drugs--including marijuana, nicotine, and certain
medications--can temporarily reduce sperm quality. Also, environmental
toxins, including pesticides and lead, may be to blame for some cases of
infertility. (Source: excerpt from Infertility: NWHIC)
Related information on causes of Male infertility:
As with all medical conditions,
there may be many causal factors.
Further relevant information on causes of Male infertility may be found in:
Causes of Male infertility: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE!
Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration,
for more information about the causes of Male infertility.
Male infertility:
Causes and incidence
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Some factors associated with male infertility include:
❑ varicocele, a mass of dilated and tortuous varicose veins in the spermatic cord
❑ semen disorders, such as volume or motility disturbances and inadequate sperm density
❑ proliferation of abnormal or immature sperm, with variations in the head’s size and shape
❑ systemic disease, such as diabetes mellitus, neoplasms, hepatic and renal diseases, and viral disturbances, especially mumps-related orchitis
❑ genital infections, such as gonorrhea, tuberculosis, and herpes
❑ disorders of the testes, such as cryptorchidism, Sertoli-cell-only syndrome, and ductal obstruction (caused by absence or ligation of vas deferens or infection)
❑ genetic defects, such as Klinefelter’s and Reifenstein’s syndromes
❑ immunologic disorders, such as autoimmune infertility and allergic orchitis
❑ endocrine imbalances that disrupt pituitary gonadotropins, inhibiting spermatogenesis, testosterone production, or both (as in Kallmann’s syndrome, panhypopituitarism, hypothyroidism, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia)
❑ chemicals and drugs that can inhibit gonadotropins or interfere with spermatogenesis, such as arsenic, methotrexate, medroxyprogesterone, nitrofurantoin, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and some antihypertensives
❑ sexual problems, such as erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory incompetence, and low libido.
Age, occupation, and traumatic injury to the testes can also contribute to male infertility. Approximately 30% to 40% of infertility problems in the United States are attributed to the male.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Female infertility:
Causes and incidence
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
The causes of female infertility may be functional, anatomic, or psychosocial:
❑ Functional causes: complex hormonal interactions determine the normal function of the female reproductive tract and require an intact hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis — the system that stimulates and regulates the hormone production necessary for normal sexual development and function. Any defect or malfunction of this axis can cause infertility due to insufficient gonadotropin secretions (both luteinizing hormone [LH] and follicle-stimulating hormone). The ovary controls, and is controlled by, the hypothalamus through a system of negative and positive feedback mediated by estrogen production. Insufficient gonadotropin levels may result from infections, tumors, or neurologic disease of the hypothalamus or pituitary gland. Hypothyroidism also impairs fertility.
❑ Anatomic causes include the following:
– Ovarian factors are related to anovulation and oligo-ovulation (infrequent ovulation) and are a major cause of infertility. Pregnancy or direct visualization provides irrefutable evidence of ovulation. Presumptive signs of ovulation include regular menses, cyclic changes reflected in basal body temperature readings, postovulatory progesterone levels, and endometrial changes due to the presence of progesterone. Absence of presumptive signs suggests anovulation. Ovarian failure, in which no ova are produced by the ovaries, may result from ovarian dysgenesis or premature menopause. Amenorrhea is often associated with ovarian failure. Oligo-ovulation may be due to a mild hormonal imbalance in gonadotropin production and regulation and may be caused by polycystic disease of the ovary or abnormalities in the adrenal or thyroid gland that adversely affect hypothalamic-pituitary functioning.
– Uterine fibroids or uterine abnormalities rarely cause infertility; however, uterine abnormalities may include congenitally absent uterus, bicornuate or double uterus, leiomyomas, or Asherman’s syndrome, in which the anterior and posterior uterine walls adhere because of scar tissue formation.
– Tubal and peritoneal factors are due to faulty tubal transport mechanisms and unfavorable environmental influences affecting the sperm, ova, or recently fertilized ovum. Tubal loss or impairment may occur secondary to ectopic pregnancy.
Frequently, tubal and peritoneal factors result from anatomic abnormalities: bilateral occlusion of the tubes due to salpingitis (resulting from gonorrhea, tuberculosis, or puerperal sepsis), peritubal adhesions (resulting from endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease [PID], diverticulosis, or childhood rupture of the appendix), and uterotubal obstruction (due to tubal spasm).
– Cervical factors may include malfunctioning cervix that produces deficient or excessively viscous mucus and is impervious to sperm, preventing entry into the uterus. In cervical infection, viscous mucus may contain spermicidal macrophages. Cervical antibodies have also been found to immobilize sperm.
❑ Psychosocial problems probably account for relatively few cases of infertility. Occasionally, ovulation may stop under stress due to failure of LH release. The frequency of intercourse may be related. More often, however, psychosocial problems result from, rather than cause, infertility.
About 10% to 20% of couples will be unable to conceive after 1 year of attempting to become pregnant. Healthy couples who are younger than age 30 and having intercourse regularly only have a 25% to 30% change of getting pregnant each month. A woman’s peak fertility is in her early 20s. As a woman ages beyond 35 (and particularly beyond 40), the likelihood of conception is less than 10% per month.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Infertility:
Differential Overview
(Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis)
Female Factors
❑ Anovulation
❑ Tubal obstruction
❑ Endometriosis
❑ Polycystic ovary disease
❑ Luteal phase dysfunction
❑ Cervical factors
❑ Uterine leiomyoma
❑ Testicular feminization
Male Factors
❑ Genitourinary infection
❑ Erectile dysfunction
❑ Drugs
❑ Retrograde ejaculation
❑ Varicocele
❑ Germinal compartment failure
❑ Partial androgen resistance
❑ Hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism
❑ Primary hypogonadism
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis, 2007
Infertility, male:
Causes
(Handbook of Diseases)
Factors that cause male infertility include:
❑ varicocele, a mass of dilated and tortuous varicose veins in the spermatic cord
❑ semen disorders, such as volume or motility disturbances or inadequate sperm density
❑ proliferation of abnormal or immature sperm, with variations in the size and shape of the head
❑ systemic disease, such as diabetes mellitus, neoplasms, liver or kidney disease, or viral disturbances, especially mumps orchitis
❑ genital infection, such as gonorrhea, tuberculosis, or herpes
❑ disorders of the testes, such as cryptorchidism, Sertoli-cell–only syndrome, varicocele, ductal obstruction (caused by absence or ligation of the vas deferens or infection), hydrocele (collection of fluid in the testes), or infection (orchitis and epididymitis).
❑ genetic defects, such as Klinefelter’s syndrome (chromosomal pattern XXY, eunuchoidal habitus, gynecomastia, and small testes) or Reifenstein’s syndrome (chromosomal pattern 46XY, reduced testosterone, azoospermia, eunuchoid-ism, gynecomastia, and hypospadias)
❑ immune disorders, such as autoimmune infertility and allergic orchitis
❑ endocrine imbalance (rare) that disrupts pituitary gonadotropins, inhibiting spermatogenesis, testosterone production, or both; such imbalances occur with Kallmann’s syndrome, panhypopituitarism, hypothyroidism, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia
❑ chemicals and drugs that can inhibit gonadotropins or interfere with spermatogenesis, such as arsenic, methotrexate, medroxyprogesterone acetate, nitrofurantoin, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and some antihypertensives
UNDER STUDY: Researchers have found a significant association between abnormally high serum lead levels and low fertilization rates in males and females. Couples with unexplained fertility problems should have their serum lead levels measured as part of an infertility evaluation.
❑ sexual problems, such as erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory incompetence, and low libido.
Other factors include age, occupation, trauma to the testes, and tight-fitting clothing that constricts the scrotum and affects sperm production.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Infertility, female:
Causes
(Handbook of Diseases)
The causes of female infertility may be functional, anatomic, or psychological.
Functional causes
Complex hormonal interactions determine the normal function of the female reproductive tract and require an intact hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, a system that stimulates and regulates the production of hormones necessary for normal sexual development and function.
Any defect or malfunction of this system can cause infertility due to insufficient gonadotropin secretions (luteinizing hormone [LH] and follicle-stimulating hormone). The ovary controls and is controlled by the hypothalamus through a system of negative and positive feedback mediated by estrogen production. Insufficient gonadotropin levels may result from infections, tumors, or neurologic disease of the hypothalamus or pituitary gland. Hypothyroidism also impairs fertility.
Anatomic causes
The anatomic causes of female infertility include the following:
❑ Ovarian factors related to anovulation and oligo-ovulation (infrequent ovulation) are a major cause of infertility. Presumptive signs of ovulation include regular menses, cyclic changes reflected in basal body temperature readings, postovulatory progesterone levels, and endometrial changes due to the presence of progesterone. The absence of presumptive signs suggests anovulation.
Ovarian failure, in which the ovaries produce no ova, may result from ovarian dysgenesis or premature menopause. Amenorrhea is commonly associated with ovarian failure. Oligo-ovulation may be due to a mild hormonal imbalance in gonadotropin production and regulation and may be caused by polycystic disease of the ovary or abnormalities in the adrenal or thyroid gland that adversely affect hypothalamic-pituitary functioning.
❑ Uterine abnormalities may include a congenitally absent uterus, bicornuate or double uterus, leiomyomas, or Asherman’s syndrome, in which the anterior and posterior uterine walls adhere because of scar tissue formation.
❑ Tubal and peritoneal factors are due to faulty tubal transport mechanisms and unfavorable environmental influences that affect the sperm, ova, or recently fertilized ovum. Tubal loss or impairment may occur secondary to ectopic pregnancy.
For many patients, tubal and peritoneal factors result from anatomic abnormalities: bilateral occlusion of the tubes due to salpingitis (resulting from gonorrhea, tuberculosis, chlamydia, or other organisms), peritubal adhesions (resulting from endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease [PID], or childhood rupture of the appendix), and uterotubal obstruction due to tubal spasm.
❑ Cervical factors may include a malfunctioning cervix that produces deficient or excessively viscous mucus impervious to sperm, preventing entry into the uterus. The cervix may also be stenotic or dilated.
Clinical tip If the patient’s cervix is dilated, make sure she isn’t pregnant.
With cervical infection, viscous mucus may contain spermicidal macrophages. Some cervical antibodies do immobilize sperm.
Psychological problems
Such problems probably account for relatively few cases of infertility. Occasionally, ovulation may stop because of stress, which results in failure of the body to release LH. Marital discord may affect the frequency of intercourse. Typically, psychological problems result from — rather than cause — infertility.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
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