Fertility in men means being able to cause a woman to become pregnant. In order for this to be possible, a man's reproductive system has to produce and store sperm and also be able to transport the sperm outside of his body, so it can enter a woman's reproductive tract.

In men, the organs responsible for producing sperm are called testes. Normally, a man has two testes. They are located in the scrotum, the pouch of skin that hangs behind the penis. Each one is called a testis or testicle. Sperm develops in tiny organs located in the testes called seminiferous tubules.

Unlike a woman, who is born with all the eggs she will ever need in her lifetime, a man continually produces new sperm. A man's sperm is refreshed about every 72 days once he passes through puberty.

Infertility is the diminished or absent capacity to produce offspring. The term "infertility" does not mean the complete inability to have children and should not be confused with sterility. Temporal and physical elements have been introduced to the definition of infertility. Infertility is often diagnosed after a year of unprotected sex and unsuccessful attempts  of trying to conceive.



Difficulty in conceiving is usually a surprise to most couples. Many couples have spent some time preventing pregnancy with various types of birth control and believe that once birth control is stopped, conception will soon follow. This is true for many couples, but for some couples it is not that easy or as simple as they expected.

***First of all, infertility can be related to either male factors OR female factors. It is not anyone's fault and should not be considered in that manner.***


There are many potential male factors when it comes to infertility. Whatever the cause of infertility may be, coping with infertility is never easy. Infertility can be just as much of a problem for men as it can be for women. Infertility problems in men can cause them to feel robbed of their virility, or even struggle with feelings of poor self-esteem. This is all normal. The key to dealing with infertility problems, whether it be male or female factors, is mutual support within a primary relationship. Infertility and difficulty conceiving (male factor, female factor, or both) is a challenge to be share within a couple.

About 85% of infertility can be treated by either medication or surgery. Success rates are constantly improving. There is hope.

This section of Fun-Kids-Stuff.Com is to provide you with the best information and resources about male fertility and infertility. This section of the site nor any of the sections of www.fun-kids-stuff.com is to be considered a diagnosis, or any type of medical advice. This information is to INFORM you only and possibly aid you in making the decision to actually see a licensed physician. Thanks!




Fact: In approximately 30% of infertile couples, the important abnormality is identified in the male, while in another 30%, abnormalities are detected in both the male and female partner.

With that being said, there is a male factor contributing to infertility in over half of all infertile couples. Until recently, however, there has been little focus or attention placed on male infertility.

A Few Key Terms:

In order to understand the reasons for male infertility, it is important to revise the stages of spermatogenesis. A brief summary of the stages of spermatogenesis is given below.

1. Immature sperm cells (spermatogonia) divide and transform into spermatocytes.
2. Spermatocytes mature through several stages and then undergo cellular division so their number of chromosomes is reduced from 46 to 23.
   
3. The spermatocytes further divide and become cells known as spermatids.
   
4. Spermatids develop into spermatozoa in a process called spermiogenesis, during which the transforming cells are attached to the Sertoli cells.
   
5. After release from the Sertoli cells, the spermatozoa are stored in the epididymis where maturation continues.
   
6. The conversion of a spermatogonium into a fully differentiated spermatozoon takes about 53 days.
   
7. Passage through the epididymis and vas deferens takes about 10 days.

  Normally, when intercourse occurs, millions of sperm are deposited into the vagina. Only a few hundred sperm will even get close to the egg, however, because their numbers decline during the travel through the cervix and uterus, and up to the fallopian tube. Once sperm is close to the egg, it must be able to penetrate and fertilize the egg. Sperm can survive for two to three days in a woman's body, however, a woman's fertile window, or the length of time a woman's egg can be fertlized by a man's sperm is only 12 to 24 hours.

Here are several factors that determine whether or not a man's sperm can fertlize a woman's egg:

  Volume of semen (the amount of ejaculate present) 
Sperm count ( Number of Sperm) 
Sperm Form ( Shape of Sperm)
Sperm Motility ( Ability to Move)
Forward Progression (Quality of Sperm Movement)

***Even though sperm count is important, sperm movement and pregression appear to be even more crucial, as a man with with a low sperm count, but high quality sperm may still be fertile.***

Finally...
Unlike females, there aren't many ways to tell if a man is fertile. The best thing a man can do if he feels he may be having a problem is to go see a doctor and get tested! So before you stress yourself out wondering whether or not you can conceive, take a trip to to the doc and get tested and get the right answers.



Remember! It is important to relax and enjoy each other. Don't let conceiving run your life. Take time in life to just love each other. You have time!


AND PLEASE REMEMBER:
Natural Family Planning is NOT an effective method of preventing pregnancy. NFP should only be used if you can provide for and care for a child because it is not 100% effective. NFP is for families who are not actively TRYING but wouldn't mind having a(nother) child.

Please visit the following for all (well, some) of your contraceptive needs!
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