Conception is a complicated process that depends upon many factors: the production of healthy sperm by the man and healthy eggs by the woman; unblocked fallopian tubes that allow the sperm to reach the egg; the sperm's ability to fertilize the egg when they meet; the ability of the fertilized egg (embryo) to become implanted in the woman's uterus; and good embryo quality.
Finally, for the pregnancy to continue to full term, the embryo must be healthy and the woman's hormonal environment adequate for its development. When just one of these factors is impaired, infertility can result.
Male infertility can be related to a man's inability to produce sperm cells, known in medical terms as azoospermia. Or it can be related to the production of low or poor quality sperm, oligospermia. Other problems that can occur include malformed sperm that cannot live long enough to fertilize the egg and genetic diseases that impair fertility.
Many biological and environmental factors can impact male fertility
The good news is that many cases of male infertility are treatable, allowing couples to achieve their goal of having a family.
