Treatment for Male Factor Infertility

 

Specific treatment for male factor infertility will be determined by your physician based on your:

  • Age, overall health, and medical history
  • Extent of the disease
  • Tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
  • Expectations for the course of the disease
  • Opinion or preference

There is a range of treatment options currently available for male factor infertility. Treatment may include:

Artificial insemination -Artificial insemination involves the placement of relatively large numbers of healthy sperm either at the entrance of the cervix or into the partner's uterus. This procedure bypasses the cervix, providing direct access to the fallopian tubes.

IVF, GIFT, and other techniques -In vitro fertilization (IVF) and gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) have been used for the treatment of male infertility. As is the case with artificial insemination, IVF and similar techniques offer the opportunity to prepare sperm in vitro, so that oocytes are exposed to an optimal concentration of high quality, motile sperm.

Microsurgical fertilization (microinjection techniques, such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or ICSI) - This treatment is used to facilitate sperm penetration by injection of a single sperm into the oocyte. Fertilization then takes place under the microscope.

Drug therapy - A small percentage of infertile men have a hormonal disorder that can be treated with hormone therapy. Hormonal imbalances caused by a dysfunction in the mechanism of interaction between the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the testes directly affect the development of sperm (spermatogenesis). Drug therapy may include gonadotrophin therapy, antibiotics, or another medication deemed appropriate.

Surgery -Surgical therapy in male infertility is designed to overcome anatomical barriers that impede sperm production and maturation or ejaculation. Surgical procedures to remove varicose veins in the scrotum (varicocele) can sometimes serve to improve the quality of sperm.

 

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