What are the causes of male infertility and how frequent is it?

More than 90% of male infertility is caused by sperm abnormalities, including poor-quality sperm, low sperm count, abnormal morphology or a combination of all these. Other reasons that may affect a man’s fertility are: anatomical problems, genetic defects and hormonal imbalances.

According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in the USA, one-third of infertility cases is caused by reproductive problems in men, one-third by reproductive problems in women and the remaining one-third by both or by unknown factors.

Azoospermia, meaning the complete absence of sperm, presents in 10% to 15% of infertile men. The main causes that lead to male infertility are problems with testicular function, followed by hormonal imbalances. Generally speaking, global statistics on male infertility show that infertility affects around 15% of couples, amounting to 48.5 million couples. Overall, it is estimated that male infertility is responsible for 20-30% of infertility cases in couples.

Male infertility rates are highest in Africa and Central/Eastern Europe. Rates of male infertility in North America, Australia and some areas of Central/Eastern Europe varied from 5% to 12%. With regard to infertility cases in the USA, Latin America and Europe, almost half are due to men.

At IASO Institute of Life we offer counseling on infertility issues by qualified psychologists.