Male Infertility – Men’s Reproductive Health

Try to conceive for 2 years with no result and there is nothing wrong with the woman. Low sperm counts, or high concentrations of abnormally shaped sperm, & slow motility.

In approx. 40 percent of infertility cases, sperm abnormalities are either a factor or the factor.

Male Infertility is assessed on the following:

• Sperm Count (less than 10 million per milliliter)
• Volume (more than 2 ml per ejaculate)
• Sperm motility (over 50% should be motile and show forward movement)

Sperm morphology (more than 5% should be of normal shape)The average ejaculate has about 200 million sperm. Only a few sperm actually reach the egg. This shows how the odds are played against a man with poor sperm quality. Although, there are ways to imporve sperm count, motility, and morphology.

Causes of Male Infertility

Sperm has to be made in the testes, travel through the spermatic ducts, and find the egg.

Radiation, environmental toxins, undescended testis, varicocele, traumatic injury, infectious injury, testicular atrophy, drug effects, prolonged fever, certain endocrine disorders, congenital abnormalities, past surgery in the lower abdomen, tight underwear, poor diet, antihypertensives, antiinflamatories, antihistamines, stress, lack of sleep, alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, and cocaine, all have a large effect on sperm health and male fertility.

A man may also produce antibodies to his own sperm, this means that the immune system attacks the tails of the sperm that they are producing. Sometimes the woman produces antibodies toward her partners sperm, they generally attack the head of the sperm.

Diagnosis of Male Infertility

Medical history will be taken; childhood disease, undescended testes, mumps, sexual disease.
Structural abnormalities will be examined; varicocele (swelling of the scrotum), size and shape of testes.
Secondary sex characteristics will be evaluated.
Hypothyroidism, hypopituitarism, adrenal disorders, hypogonadism, diabetes, and other endocrine disorders will be checked for.
2-3 specimens of sperm will be needed for a proper evaluation. Volume and other characteristics vary from time to time. The semen should look somewhat viscous and opaque. The volume should be between 1-5 ml (remember that one shot of alcohol is 30 ml). There should be over 20 million sperm per ml of semen.

Sperm is evaluated into the following categories;

• adequate
• aspermia (absence of ejaculate)
• azoospermia (absence of sperm in semen)
• oligospermia (lowered sperm density)
• poor motility and forward movement
• high percent of abnormal sperm morphology antisperm antibodiesSurgery may be needed. Although, many sperm abnormalities and male fertility problems can be effectively treated with diet and lifestyle changes, avoiding what can be harmful, supplementation with vitamins, minerals, and herbs.

TCM – *Kidney disorder, Liver depression Qi stagnation, Heart and Spleen

Kidney Yang deficiency
low libido, weak ejaculation, impotence, seminal emission, low sperm count, slow motility,
Yang deficiency symptoms (coldness, fatigue, pale bright face, copious clear urine)
Acupuncture – tonify, Ren, Du, Shu, Moxa, BL 23, Du 4, Ren 4, SP 6

Kidney Yin deficiency
seminal emission, slow mobility, low count, thick sticky semen from Heat &/or lack of fluids,
Kidney Yin deficiency symptoms (nights sweats, anxiety, irritable, fidgety)
Acupuncture – Ren 4, KI 3, 6, BL 52, LR 3

Liver Qi stagnation
Liver meridian blockage in the local area (genital) makes it difficult to ejaculate, related with impotence and low libido,
Liver Qi stagnation symptoms (emotional and physical)
Acupuncture – tonify and sedate, Ren 4 & 2 (invigorate Yang), BL 23 & SP 6, LR 3 & PC 6, GB 34 (tendons), ST 36, Ren 12

Damp/Heat in low Jiao
alcohol and diet leads to this condition, generally overweight, sperm count is low, may be sperm deformities, Damp/Heat symptoms (scanty urine, fullness in hypogastrium
Acupuncture – BL 28 & Ren 3 (diuresis), SP 6, 9, BL 23, 32, Ren 2

Qi and Blood deficiency
worry, over-thinking, stress, chronic illness, impotence, low sperm count, short sperm life, slow mobility,
Heart and Spleen deficiency symptoms
Acupuncture – Ren 4, 6, ST 36, SP 6, BL 23, HT 7

Alternative Treatment Methods
*auricular- internal (Nei Sheng Zhi Qi) and external (Wai Sheng Zhi Qi) reproductive points, subcortex, endocrine, shenmen, *KI, LR, HT, SP