Sperm count not root of male infertility

Hyderabad: Damaged sperm DNA is one of the major causes of male infertility say experts, with scientists and doctors now concentrating more on the quality of sperm rather than the sperm count.  The science of the study of sperm has been understood only till the point where it swims, finds an egg and fertilises it in the uterus. But from the millions of sperm that are released, why do only a few fertilise eggs and why do the others miss? These questions still remain un answered.

Science must move ahead with research on the falling sperm count in men. The problem of male infertility is now on the rise and experts state that one in every six couples are affected worldwide. In most cases, the underlying problem is with the male partner. Dr. Rahul Reddy, senior andrologist explained, “There is now a lot of stress being laid on the quality of sperm and for that reason current studies are focusing on the quality of sperm which must be used for in-vitro fertilisation. “Often we find that recurrent abortions in women in the first trimester of pregnancy are due to damaged sperm DNA which affect the quality of the embryo. It is for this reason, that semen analysis has to be done.”

Experts say that they focus on quality, as the sperm count is found to reduce and that affects  fertility. The World Health Organisation guidelines state that the sperm count should exceed 15 million spermatozoa per millilitre. If that is not there, then treatment has to be started. In the Indian male, infection is one of the major causes for sperm damage. The others are hormonal imbalance and sedentary lifestyle.

Dr. A V Ravikumar, senior urologist explained, “A decade ago, men who came to clinics for problems of infertility were due to correctable causes like diet deficiency, tobacco addiction and other medical conditions like varicose veins which when corrected allowed for a normal pregnancy.  “But in the present, we find patients coming to us with these causes, but treatment has to be aggressive and often the results are not as expected. 

“In some cases, even the response to medication is not good. There is a major shift in lifestyle, food habits, dressing patterns and also increased stress which is causing problems in the reproductive organs of men.” While the number of men who come to clinics have risen, they come only after their wives haven been completely evaluated medically.  Experts state that there is still a taboo and this leads to delayed treatment. In the case of infertility, both men and women must get themselves evaluated and seek proper treatment or opt for the right corrective therapy to improve their chances of fertility. Experts state that there may be no age-bar for men, but there is definitely a falling sperm count that cannot be underestimated.