Diagnosis and treatment of male infertility

  Infertility is defined as the failure of a couple of childbearing age to conceive after more than two years of cohabitation without the use of contraception. In order to clarify the cause of infertility, both spouses should undergo the necessary tests. Almost half of the various causes of infertility are caused by the male partner.  Male fertility depends on the presence of normal spermatogenesis, a patent vas deferens and normal erectile and ejaculatory function. The testes are the organs that produce sperm and secrete male hormones; the parameres are where sperm are nurtured for continued maturation and stored; and the vas deferens is the muscular duct that outputs sperm. During ejaculation, secretions from the paramecium (prostate, urethral bulb gland, etc.) mix with the mucus and sperm from the testes and paramecium to form semen, which facilitates the movement of sperm and provides the energy needed for sperm movement. There are 2 to 6 ml of semen ejaculated per sexual intercourse. Excessive or reduced semen directly affects sperm concentration and sperm activity.  Normal semen is slightly alkaline and contains about 6 to 200 million sperm per milliliter, with 60% to 90% normal sperm morphology and 70% or more motility. If you suffer from serious systemic chronic diseases, endocrine disorders, malnutrition, and reproductive system disorders, such as mumps, cryptorchidism, orchitis, prostatitis, varicocele, tuberculosis, malformation or trauma of the reproductive system, sexual dysfunction (impotence, premature ejaculation, functional non-ejaculation, retrograde ejaculation), surgery for inguinal hernia or cryptorchidism, and damage to the ureter, etc. can directly affect fertility. Long-term exposure to radiation or toxic substances and the use of anti-cancer drugs can also affect the formation of sperm.  Diagnosis of infertility The clinical examination of male infertility should include changes in secondary sexual characteristics, the development of the penis, the size of the testes and parametrium and the presence of nodules, changes in the vas deferens and routine semen examination. If the semen examination is not normal, it should be reviewed at least once, and there should be no sexual intercourse for one week before the review, and if no sperm is found, it should be reviewed two times. If necessary, various endocrine and immunological examinations, chromosome examination, testicular biopsy, vasectomy and post-coital mucus sperm vitality determination should be done to understand the spermatogenic function of the testes, the degree of spermatogenic disorders, whether the cause is testicular hypoplasia or other endocrine disorders and nutritional disorders, and whether there is obstruction of the vas deferens, and then combined with the sexual function status to make a comprehensive analysis and make a correct diagnosis. The diagnosis of the cause of infertility will be made through a comprehensive analysis in conjunction with the status of sexual function.  If a couple is found to be infertile and lacks sexual knowledge, they should be given proper guidance, and if they have intercourse during the female partner’s ovulation period, they will be more likely to conceive; if they have spermatogenic defects, they can try hormones and nutritional agents or apply herbal medicines to increase sperm count and motility to promote spermatogenesis and improve spermatogenesis; if they have low sperm motility or many dead sperm, they can try testosterone injections; if they have prostatitis, they should be actively treated; if they have varicocele, they can be treated. If there is varicocele, high level ligation of the spermatic vein can be performed; if there is obstruction of the vas deferens or parametrium, the vas deferens and the proximal end of the obstruction can be anastomosed, such as vas deferens parametrium head anastomosis or vas deferens testicular anastomosis, and semen should be reviewed regularly and treated with other drugs after surgery.