The male factor contributes to 50% of infertility cases. In a third of the cases of infertility, the reproductive status of the female partner is normal and the alteration falls on the male partner. This is stated by Leen Antonio, an endocrinologist and andrologist at the Leuven University Hospitals, in Belgium.
The specialist, also a professor at the Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism at the University of Louvain, participated in the last annual meeting of the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology, held in Copenhagen, in a presentation on the complexities of organized male infertility by Merck.
Asked by this means, Leen Antonio answers about the alterations that lead to infertility among men, including influence of decline in sperm qualityas well as its possible treatments.
Among the main medical causes, the andrologist lists the “hormonal imbalances, genetic conditions, infections, chronic diseases or certain medicines. However, in a large proportion of men with a suboptimal semen quality, a specific cause may not be identified. In addition, obesity and other lifestyle factors (such as smoking or excessive alcohol consumption) can contribute to decreased semen quality.”
Hence, if a couple is experiencing difficulties conceiving, the expert recommends that both members undergo an evaluation and consultation with a fertility specialist.