What Does It Mean To Have A Low Sperm Count?

When we think about fertility problems, we most often tend to think of the various problems that women face in terms of fertility. However, the fact of the matter is that things are rather equitable, statistically speaking, when it comes to male and female fertility. Around 40% of the time, fertility problems are due to a male problem, about 40% of the time they are due to a female problem, and the other 20% of the time they are due to problems with both the man and the woman. In terms of male factor infertility, there are essentially three very common problems, all of which are related to the man’s sperm. The three problems are a low sperm count, low sperm motility, and abnormal sperm. Of these, low sperm count is the most common male factor infertility problem.

Sperm count is measured in a ratio of sperm per milliliter of semen that is ejaculated. A normal sperm count is considered to be somewhere in the 40 to 300 million sperm per milliliter of ejaculate. A low sperm count means that a man has fewer than 20 million sperm per milliliter ejaculated.

There are a variety of things that might cause a low sperm count. A low sperm count does not mean that there is something permanently wrong with the man. In some cases, for example, having a low sperm count might just mean that a man has a specific nutritional deficiency that can be resolved through the use of a variety of fertility-related nutritional supplements. Having a low sperm count might just mean that a man has an illness or infection that is temporarily lowering his sperm count. In other cases, however, having a low sperm count may mean that there is a more serious problem, or at least a problem that is harder to address. In many cases, there is no clear reason why a man has a low sperm count.

The good news is that having a low sperm count does not mean that a man will not be able to conceive. If the cause of a low sperm count is easily identified, it is possible that it can be treated. If the cause of the low sperm count cannot be identified, this still does not mean that the man with a low sperm count will not be able to conceive. There are advanced fertility procedures, such as IVF and ICSI that may help out a man with a low sperm count to conceive.

Posted in Trying to Get Pregnant