Infertility is defined as the absence of pregnancy for 2 years for couples of reproductive age who have normal sexual intercourse without contraception. The World Health Organization defines the duration of infertility as 1 year. It includes primary and secondary infertility. The causes of infertility include female factors, male factors and unknown causes. Due to the change of living environment and the increase of people’s work pressure, male factor is more and more common, and now it is close to 1/3.
There are epidemiological survey data reality, in the last half century, the number of sperm in male semen and sperm various parameters have shown a significant downward trend. The causes of male infertility are described as follows.
A, the impact of physical factors
1, high temperature: testicular spermatogenesis and epididymal sperm maturation depends on a temperature environment lower than body temperature, so different causes of local temperature elevation of the scrotum and testes can cause different degrees of spermatogenic disorders. These include: cryptorchidism, varicocele, long-term hyperthermia of the whole body, high temperature working environment, certain living habits (sauna, spa, etc.), etc.
2.Radiation: Long-term exposure to radioactive occupations can affect spermatogenic cells and testicular support cells.
3, low-frequency electromagnetic waves: long-term use of cell phones or placement of trouser bags, waist, can interfere with spermatogenesis and affect sperm vitality.
Second, chemical factors
1, trace elements abnormal: zinc deficiency can cause pubertal development disorders and even male infertility; cadmium, lead, manganese, copper and other excesses can varying degrees of testicular tissue damage, inhibit spermatogenesis and increase the number of deformed sperm.
2, environmental factors: pesticides, herbicides can affect the testicular spermatogenic tubules spermatogenic epithelium, environmental chemical pollution, such as chemical pollution in the estrogen, androgenic components can significantly infect reproductive health; illegal additives in food plasticizers interfere with endocrine, so that boys are prone to feminization behavior tendencies, girls will also appear premature sexual symptoms.
Third, life hobbies
In addition to the cadmium factor in tobacco, nicotine may cause low reproductive function; long-term alcohol abuse not only affects the liver to hormone inactivation function, but also affect the hypothalamus – pituitary – testicular gonadal axis.
Fourth, certain drugs and poisons affect
The herbal medicine Leigongteng, salazosulfanilamide pyridine, cottonseed oil can be abnormal sperm occurrence and activity rate.
V. Systemic disease factors
Adrenal gland, thyroid, hypertension, diabetes and blood system, immune system diseases can affect reproductive function, and radiotherapy damage to germ cells.
Reproductive system diseases
In addition to cryptorchidism, varicocele and other infectious diseases (such as mycoplasma, chlamydia and gonococcal infection in the reproductive tract), mumps with testicular softening and atrophy can cause male infertility.
Seven, genetic factors
Chromosomal abnormalities (including chromosomal number and structure abnormalities) can lead to azoospermia, oligospermia or recurrent miscarriage.
Many infertile couples in clinical diagnosis and treatment, due to family pressure and traditional beliefs, the cause of infertility is attributed to the female partner, and the female partner has good clinical compliance, and many infertile women are finally found to have male factors after heavy examination. Therefore, it is recommended that the male partner should undergo semen-related examination first or at the same time during the initial infertility consultation to avoid unreasonable use of time and money.