The poor infertile man

Male infertility is common, and is usually responsible for about 40% of all infertile cases. The commonest reason is the low sperm count, also known as oligospermia.What breaks my heart is the poor quality of treatment which these men get. Typically, they go to a gynecologist who has no clue about how to deal with men , because all they do is deal with women. However, when confronted with something they don't understand, like most doctors, they mindlessly tick off lots of boxes on a laboratory order form, to "investigate" so they can make a "diagnosis". They usually order a panel of tests , including hormone levels ( such as FSH, LH, prolactin, tesosterone); karyotype          ( chromosome test ) ; and a doppler ultrasound ( to check for a varicocele). However, none of which these are any use whatsoever in a man with a low sperm count ! The very fact that the man has some sperm in his semen means all his tests are going to be normal ! Most minor abnormalities are of no clinical importance.Even worse, these results don't provide any actionable information , because there's nothing we can do to increase the sperm count ! However, doctors are never happy just prescribing tests - they love to " treat" as well ! They advise a lot of lifestyle modification measures, such as eating a healthier diet; doing more exercise; taking cold water showers; wearing boxer shorts; reducing stress levels; taking holidays; as well all kinds of empi...
Source: Dr.Malpani's Blog - Category: Reproduction Medicine Source Type: blogs