What Does A Urologist Do For Male Infertility?

by | Sep 10, 2014

Male Infertility Treatments

There are many treatments for male infertility today. Couples that are having difficulty conceiving should both have their medical histories checked out in an effort to understand the underlying problem. Having a low sperm count is one of the primary causes of male infertility problems, and it can be attributed to a number of underlying medical factors. Men can see their urologists about any real or suspected fertility problems that they have. It’s more than likely that men in this situation will need multiple appointments in order to properly address the condition.

Medical Examinations & Male Infertility

Urologists that are dealing with male patients that have fertility problems will be trying to get at the root of the problem first. Men that see their urologists will more or less get a medical checkup as the preliminary first step in the process. Their urologists will ask about their patients’ personal habits as well as their recent and long-term sexual history. At this stage, men need to be candid with their urologists, or neither party is going to get anywhere.

Men should not assume that their urologists will know everything that their general practitioners already know, since not everything is recorded and listed in the medical files that specialists receive. Even pieces of information that seem irrelevant can help clue urologists in to the causes of male infertility.

Male Infertility Analyses

After getting the necessary information from the medical checkup, which will often help urologists rule out certain conditions, urologists will typically analyze the patient’s semen sample, perform genetic testing, or test the patient’s hormones. The overwhelming majority of male infertility cases can be traced to hormonal problems of some kind. At this stage, urologists are trying to rule out certain problems for men in order to find the appropriate treatment regimens. Misdiagnoses of the underlying causes of male infertility problems can potentially cause other problems, particularly if it’s a hormonal treatment. It’s important for urologists to be thorough at this stage.

Male Infertility Treatment

Some male infertility problems will need to be addressed through minor surgical procedures. Others will involve medications and lifestyle changes. Assisted reproductive technologies can help men that have irreparably low sperm counts conceive, so urologists may discuss these sorts of options with some of their male patients. Urologists may find evidence of an underlying medical condition that has other symptoms, so the patients will need treatment for that.

Fertility problems can be psychologically difficult to cope with for some men, so it is possible that a urologist may recommend counseling for some patients. The social stigma surrounding fertility problems has subsided somewhat in modern society, but it hasn’t gone away entirely. The fact that stress can be an underlying factor in infertility will only make the problem worse.

Conclusion

Men today should understand that there are many options available for them when it comes to fertility problems. Even having a very low sperm count does not mean that conception will be impossible, given modern levels of technology. Regardless of their medical histories, men with fertility problems should not lose hope.