Common Causes Male Overview For a man to be fertile, his sperm cells must be healthy and be transported to their destination – the egg. Most cases of male infertility are due to sperm abnormalities, yet any of the following can play a role:
Sperm basics Fertilization depends on sperm that are properly shaped (morphology) and able to move (motility) rapidly and accurately toward the egg. Impaired motility and morphology can result in sperm not reaching the egg. Sperm count or concentration refers to the number of sperm cells per milliliter of semen. Men with 10 million or fewer sperm per milliliter are considered subfertile. Approximately 20 million or higher is considered average; 40 million sperm or higher per milliliter indicates increased fertility. | |
Male Factor Infertility
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Male infertility accounts for approximately 40 percent of the diagnosed infertility cases in the United States annually. Traditionally, couples with significant, uncorrectable male infertility had three options:
It has become common knowledge that women's fertility declines with age. In contrast, the assumption traditionally has been that men have no similar "biological clock," that they are virtually as fertile at age 60 or 70 as at age 30. Increasing studies, however, now strongly indicate that assumption to be incorrect. It appears that men, too, may need to start thinking about biological parenthood before they turn 40.
