Fertility Treatment Options for Low Sperm Count!

• Low Sperm Count 

• Diagnosis 

• Semen Analysis—Get your Sperm Count Checked 

• Fertility treatments for Low Sperm Count

Often when couples are intended to be parents and are unable to conceive, they go through a wide range of emotions. It could be disheartening when they repeatedly met with negative pregnancy tests. 

However, it is important for those facing fertility issues to realize that they are not alone! Although most people are reluctant to share their struggles with infertility, this is one of the common conditions that has been affecting millions of Indians. 

While identifying infertility causes, people often ignore considering male factors, but low sperm count, quality, poor sperm motility, and infertility in men are more prevalent causes and also majorly linked to unsuccessful conception. 

Fortunately, there are various fertility treatment options that can aid in addressing these challenges and make pregnancy a possibility. 

Low Sperm Count

Low sperm count is also called oligozoospermia and is the major cause of male factor infertility. Your sperm count is considered to be low when it dips below 15 million sperms/milliliter of semen. And a complete absence of sperm is known as azoospermia. 

In men, few or no sperms is the biggest problem that makes natural conception more difficult to achieve, although successful pregnancies can still occur.

Problems with sperm, including a low sperm count, poor sperm quality, and mobility are quite common. And they are the responsible factors in around 1 in couples who are struggling to conceive.

There are various treatments available at the MotherToBe fertility clinic that can help you become a father if you have a low sperm count and other male fertility issues.

Diagnosis

When you have trouble conceiving, you seek a doctor’s help and he/she would try to determine the underlying causes. If the doctor thinks that there may be a low sperm count problem. Then, you and your partner need to be evaluated and recommend some screening tests to rule out the potential contributing factors and determine if assisted reproductive treatments may be required. 

This evaluation includes a general physical examination, medical history, and semen analysis. 

Semen Analysis

A low sperm count is diagnosed with the help of semen analysis test sperm count is usually determined by examining the semen sample under a microscope and determining the number of sperms that appear within squares or a grid pattern, otherwise, a computer might be used to determine the sperm count.

Normal sperm densities generally range from 15 million to greater than 200 million sperm/millimeter of semen. If you have less than 15 million sperm/millimeter or less than 39 million total sperm per ejaculate then you are considered to have a low sperm count. And it is important to know that sperm motility is also one of the important factors to achieve pregnancy.

Trying to conceive with Low Sperm Count May Require Fertility Treatment 

Depending on the cause of infertility, specific fertility treatment is necessary. Unfortunately, in men, most fertility treatments are not very successful due to severely depressed sperm counts or motility, where IVF with ICSI is exceptional.

Treatment options for low sperm count include:

Keep trying—initially, you may be suggested trying to conceive naturally for a little longer. Most couples conceive within the 2^nd year of trying.

IVF—In Vitro Fertilization may be a good option if you have a slightly low sperm count. During an IVF cycle, an egg is retrieved from the woman’s ovaries and fertilized with the sperm in an IVF laboratory. Then the fertilized egg or embryo is transferred into the woman’s womb to promote conception.

IVF with ICSI— Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection is an add-on of IVF and similar to the IVF technique which involves collecting a sperm sample, cleansing it to isolate the healthiest and strongest sperms.

Then a single quality and motile sperm is selected and directly injected into an egg to promote fertilization. Once the embryo forms it is transferred to the woman’s womb.

IVF with ICSI is offered to couples who have been trying to get pregnant naturally for at least two years. IVF has high success rates, but by combining IVF with ICSI, we can further increase the success rates for men with sperm issues.

Hormonal Treatment—similar to women, men can also be given hormonal treatment, and which involves the use of injectable hormones such as pergonal, Humagon, and Gonadotropins to stimulate sperm production before considering invasive options.

Surgery—it is very rare to treat low sperm count with surgery. It is suggested in the cases where  male partner needs to repair blockages in sperm transport.

Artificial donor insemination—If the male partner is unable to produce sperm, the only alternative remaining is donor sperms (sperm donated by another man). You can consider artificial donor insemination as an alternative to ICSI, especially if the male has any genetic disorder that could be passed on to the baby. Donor insemination can be used as a part of IVF only if necessary.

For some men, low sperm count and poor motility are not addressed by the above mentioned treatments. If this happens, MotherToBe offers other fertility options and  works with you to successfully attain conception and start a new family.

If you have been unsuccessful in your attempts to get pregnant, then it is time to work with a fertility clinic.

Our expertise team of fertility doctors at MotherToBe fertility center in Hyderabad is ready to help you start your family. Consult us at your earliest convenience to know more about our complete fertility services, including diagnostic testing and holistic treatment.

Request an appointment at MotherToBe Fertility Clinic!