Infertility or sterility is the inability to conceive after about a year of unprotected  sex. For conceiving a baby, it is 50/50 contribution by both partners. But in majority of cases it is the woman who is blamed though fault may lie with the man.

There may be birth defects in the development of reproductive organs in the man, which impair production of sperms. Conditions like poor development of testes or undescended testes, that is, where testes do not enter their proper place in process of development are associated with failure to produce sperms. Some men have penis shaped such that they ejaculate posteriorly, thus failing to deposit the sperm in the vagina. These defects are usually identified much later in life, when the man is examined for some other problem or, rarely, where he accepts to be investigated for infertility.

Problems or infections of the penis or scrotum are also known causes for infertility.Infections in boyhood like mumps, measles, among others, can often cause inflammation of the testes which passes unnoticed in young children. As the boy becomes an adult, this may be the cause for infertility.

Hormonal disorders in men as in women  can cause sterility.

There are several risk factors which reduce sperm production and cause infertility in men. Warmth locally reduces production of sperms in an individual. Therefore, wearing very tight trousers or  nylon underpants can reduce the sperm count, rendering a man sterile.

Sitting for long hours as in case of desk workers also increases heat over the testicles and impairs sperm production. Keeping a laptop computer for long time on the lap is also known to reduce fertility. Obesity is also known to cause infertility by reducing sperm production. This happens because excess fat in the body tissues raises temperature on testes.

Multiple ejaculations caused due to excess sexual activity effectively brings   down the sperm count to very low levels. It also reduces desire for sex, thus reducing the possibility of conception. Therefore, any healthy man who desires a baby should restrict his sexual activity and also be disciplined in this matter, because sexually transmitted diseases can also result in sterility due to inflammation of the testes.

Any trauma to testes or tubes can impair sperm production or transportation.  Mental stress is also known to produce spasms of the tubes, thus blocking the passage of sperms.

Alcohol causes sexual impotence and also inflammation of the testes, thus causing sterility by multiple causes. Similarly, tobacco use in any form is also known to diminish sexual function and sterility in men.

Therefore if a couple decides to create a baby and fail to do so in one year, both the husband and wife need to be investigated. A sperm analysis is essential for the man, apart from a routine clinical examination.

To get good results, the sample for sperm analysis should be given after about a week or 10 days of abstinence from sex and alcohol, otherwise false low counts may be obtained.

Wearing tight trousers should be avoided. Ideally underpants should always be of cotton as nylon  is not healthy. One desiring of having a baby should give up alcohol and tobacco.

Any itching or discharge from the genital parts should be treated timely as these indicate a sexually transmitted disease and can lead to permanent sterility. Mental relaxation is also very important to increase one’s libido and also augment chances of reproduction.

It should be understood very well that a man is also a human being like a woman and can have some problem  which prevents conception.

 Dr Rachna Pande is a specialist in internal medicine at Ruhengeri Hospital