Male Fertility
It’s estimated that up to one-third of all fertility complications suffered by couples are related to problems with a man’s fertility. These may be caused by physical issues that prevent sperm from being ejaculated normally or impact the quality and production of the sperm. Infertility is assessed through semen analyses, physical exams and hormone evaluations performed by the team at the Center for Men’s Health at TUCC. A semen analysis can detect:
- Azoospermia, where no sperm are produced or sperm do not appear in the semen.
- Oligospermia, where few sperm are produced.
- Problems with sperm motility, which reduce the likelihood of fertilizing an egg.
- Problems with sperm form and structure.
Two normal semen analyses are typically required to rule out significant infertility problems. Following the semen analysis, your TUCC physician will perform a physical exam to look for any varicoceles (blockage of the spermatic cord). Hormonal imbalances do not impact the fertility of the majority of men. However, we test the testosterone levels of all male fertility patients at the Center for Men’s Health. Low testosterone is diagnosed through a blood test that determines the level of testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), a protein that tightly binds testosterone and makes it unavailable for use by the target organ.
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