photo taken from www.scienceagogo.com
The fertilization of an egg by a man’s sperm is the beginning of new life. Approximately 20 million sperm per milliliter (ml) are needed in the ejaculate, coupled with adequate mobility and strength, to be able to successfully swim the uphill journey to the fallopian tube. The odds of a young fertile couple conceiving by having sexual intercourse around the time of ovulation are roughly one in five every month. A couple wouldn’t be suspected of fertility problems until after they have tried, and failed, to conceive for one year. Around 20 per cent of couples experience difficulties and in most cases, they can be facilitated with assisted reproductive technologies.
Infertility is a disease of the reproductive system that impairs one of the body’s most fundamental functions: the conception of children. Conception in itself is a complicated process that primarily depends upon many factors and can be demonstrated with the following:
- the production of healthy eggs by the woman and healthy sperm by the man
- unblocked fallopian tubes that allow the sperm to reach the egg
- the capability of the sperm to reach the egg
- the sperm’s capability to fertilize the egg when they meet
- the capability of the fertilized egg (embryo) to become implanted in the woman’s uterus
- good quality embryo
For the pregnancy to be completed, the embryo must be healthy and the woman’s hormonal environment should be adequate for its development. Infertility is the result of any one of these factors impaired.
Approximately 40 per cent of fertility problems originate from men. Male fertility problems not only include poor quality sperm but also blockages in the tubes of the reproductive system. The most common causes of male infertility include:
- Azoospermia (no sperm cells are produced), which means that the semen doesn’t contain any sperm most probably be caused by a blockage of the tubes, or testicular failure.
- Oligospermia (few sperm cells are produced), which means that the ejaculate is deficient in number of sperm to bring about conception.
- Abnormal shape, which means that a healthy sperm is shaped like a streamlined tadpole. Abnormally shaped sperm would likely have problems penetrating the surface of the woman’s egg.
- Poor motility, which means that a sperm swim feebly or incapable of moving spontaneously, or not at all which therefore wouldn’t be able to swim through the woman’s reproductive system.
Occasionally, sperm cells are abnormal or they die even before they can reach the egg during conception. In rare cases, genetic disease such as cystic fibrosis or a chromosomal abnormality causes the infertility.
Further, infertility is not only a physical condition–it can also be an emotional and social condition, with accompanying feelings and issues. The infertile man will certainly need support and consideration from a treatment team, friends, and family.
Tags: sexual intercourse, Sexual Intimacy, The Politics of Infertility, The Predicaments of Creating New Life
