Frequently Recommended Male Infertility Treatments

It is a common misconception that when couples are struggling to conceive, the fertility problems usually lie with the female and this isn’t always the case. In fact, almost a third of couples will have male infertility related issues that could be preventing them from getting pregnant and it is incredibly important to be aware that this isn’t as abnormal as people assume. So, if you are concerned about your fertility, you can consider a male fertility MOT.

Male fertility can be affected by a wide variety of factors, but your semen analysis will bring to your attention if you have a low sperm count, low sperm motility or low sperm movement. There are also a number of other tests like sperm DNA fragmentation index, that can give more information about the health of the sperms. Besides these, there are other tests that the fertility specialist may recommend depending on your circumstances. Whilst these issues can lead to difficulties with conceiving, there are a number of treatments available that can help you to conceive. 

Artificial Insemination/Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

This is a relatively simple fertility treatment and it involves placing your washed sperm into your partner’s womb. IUI is sometimes a suitable male infertility treatment where your sperms are struggling to reach the egg.

On the day of IUI, you will have to produce a semen sample, which will be washed and prepared for insemination. The procedure itself is very minor for your partner and simply using a plastic catheter, your sperms will be gently paced into their womb. Due to the fact that IUI deposits higher concentrations of good quality sperm high into your partner’s womb, it overcomes some of the initial obstacles and increases the chances of the sperm fertilising an egg and, in turn, the chances of pregnancy. 

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

This particular male infertility treatment was originally developed to assist couples with male related issues. Often, ICSI is recommended for men who have low or absent sperm concentration, motility, morphology or presence of anti-sperm antibodies, and it can be incredibly effective for them. 

Whilst this treatment is frequently compared to IVF, it is more suitable for men who have fertility problems as it involves selecting a single sperm and injecting it directly into an egg rather than simply placing sperms near an egg in a dish. For some men, where there is absence of sperms or azoospermia, surgical sperm retrieval from the epididymis or testis, can be performed. These retrieved sperms can then be used for your and your partner’s IVF / ICSI treatment.  

Intracytoplasmic Morphologically-Selected Sperm Injection (IMSI IVF)

This treatment isn’t too dissimilar from ICSI, but if you find that ICSI isn’t suitable or hasn’t been successful in the past, then IMSI IVF may be able to help. As a male infertility treatment, this involves carefully preparing and examining sperms under a microscope with very high magnification before undertaking the ICSI or IVF process. 

By using a special microscope, fertility specialists are able to evaluate the structures inside the sperm cell which is called Motile Sperm Organelle Morphology Examination (MSOME). This examination enables the best sperm to be selected for the treatment and any sperm with tiny defects to be identified and rejected. By selecting which sperm will be used for ICSI or IVF, your chances of a successful pregnancy can be increased. 

Speaking to a specialist about male infertility treatments 

Hopefully, if you’re struggling to conceive naturally with your partner and you know that the fertility issues lie with yourself, the information above about the different male infertility treatments will be beneficial to you. There is no denying that there are plenty of different options to explore in this regard with a fertility specialist and they will help to ensure that you’re investing in the treatments that are most suitable for your individual circumstances. 

Should you wish to speak to a specialist about male infertility treatments in more detail, never hesitate to contact us here at London IVF and Genetics Centre. When booking an appointment with one of our consultants, they will gladly take the time to discuss male fertility problems with you in more detail and to explore the different treatment options available. We pride ourselves on providing a premium service to our patients based on transparency of information and a continuity of care, so you can trust you will be in the best hands when you turn to us.