What causes infertility in males?
Sperm problems are the leading cause and account for perhaps 75% of male infertility cases. On average about 100750 million sperm are ejaculated during orgasm, but only a few hundred make it to the fallopian tube where the egg is fertilized. Any reduction in the sperm count or any problem with their quality reduces the chances of conception. To be of good quality, sufficient numbers of sperm must be “motile”, i.e. moving positively rather than aimlessly swimming around in circles, and normally shaped rather than malformed. Enough sperm must also be capable of escaping from the seminal fluid in which they were ejaculated and of penetrating the woman’s cervical mucus as well as the egg’s outer covering.
