Testosterone Testing during Infertility Treatment

A blood test to determine testosterone levels is recommended if a woman has irregular periods or none at all. Female testosterone levels can be an indication for certain conditions that can cause female infertility.

Azoospermia – A Cause of Male Infertility

Azoospermia is the complete lack of sperm in the ejaculate and is one of the most severe forms of male factor infertility. Since azoospermia does not have any symptoms, it often comes as a surprise to a couple planning parenthood. This condition does not rule out the possibility of fathering a child. New techniques are now being perfected to help men with azoospermia become a parent to biological children.

Azoospermia is of two types:

• Obstructive Azoospermia that occurs when a blockage in the duct system prevents sperm from mixing with the semen.
• Non-Obstructive Azoospermia occurs when there is a problem with the actual production of sperm within the body and is generally attributed to hormonal imbalances.

Causes of Azoospermia

Failed sperm production is often the result of hormonal abnormalities, undescended testicles or vascular trauma to the testes or to the blood vessels within the testes.

Sperm transport problems are often caused by infection including STDS, by congenital absence of Vans Deferens which are tiny tubes that carry sperm to the urethra for ejaculation or due to a previous vasectomy procedure that prevents the sperm from mixing with the ejaculate.

Diagnosis

The initial semen analysis reveals if there is a problem with sperm production or there is a blockage preventing sperm from reaching the ejaculate. A medical evaluation of a male suspected to be suffering from azoospermia includes:

• A thorough physical examination
• Semen analysis
• Blood tests that include a testosterone and FSH level
• A complete review of medical problems, past surgeries, medications and family history

A testis biopsy under local anesthesia may be performed if the above procedures fail to throw light on the sperm production problem.

Treating Azoospermia

There are ways to treat azoospermia and possibly restore fertility in men suffering from the condition. Treatment options include:

• removing blockages in the duct system
• using medications to restore hormonal balances

New methods of surgical sperm removal are now available, wherein small quantities of sperm can be removed from the testes or around blockages. These include:

• PESA (Percutaneous Sperm Aspiration), in which sperm is taken directly from the epididymis.
• MESA (Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration), in which sperm is retrieved in higher numbers from the epididymis.
• TESE (Testicular Sperm Extraction), in which a small tissue sample is taken from the testicles in order to retrieve viable sperm.

Thus even if there are no sperm in the ejaculate, sperm can often be harvested and used to achieve fertilization. Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) like IVF and ICSI manipulate sperm in a controlled manner and greatly facilitate infertility treatment.
It is important not to give up hope when confronted with azoospermia. A consultation with an infertility specialist for treatment options is the immediate step to be taken. East Bay Fertility Center located in Dublin, California (www.ebfertility.com) is well equipped with the latest technology and offers comprehensive infertility consultation. The Center is headed by Dr. Ellen U. Snowden a Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and offers a complete mind-body experience for couples with fertility issues including male infertiity.

Call 925.828.9235 for a free initial consultation.

Smoking Vs Infertility

Infertility arises because of many reasons such as problems in the ovaries and uterus and fluctuations in hormone levels which reduce the chances of conceiving. In addition there are external factors that could contribute to infertility. Smoking is one of them.

The link between Smoking and Infertility

Latest studies show that a considerable amount of infertility cases are the after effect of smoking. Smoking can cause severe side effects both in men and women. Women smokers have higher risk of affecting their reproductive ability and further increasing the chances of cancer in their offspring because of alterations in the genes and chromosomes.

Women who have tried to get pregnant with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and those who have been smokers in the past produce fewer eggs with IVF than non smokers. In addition, smokers also experience reduced capacity of fertilization of the eggs and increased chances of miscarriages with IVF. The reason might be nicotine, found in cigarettes, which have adverse effects on the follicles that are necessary for the induction of IVF.

Smoking during Pregnancy

The pregnancy rates of women smokers are greatly affected by nicotine. Moreover, smoking negatively influences not just the mother, but the baby as well. Even before delivery, smoking can harm a fetus exposed to nicotine while in the womb causing low birth weight, poor lung function and several other problems. The nicotine in cigarettes obstructs the flow of oxygen needed for healthy growth to the baby’s blood. Needless to say the chances of a healthy pregnancy can be improved by keeping the body smoke free.

Effects of Smoking on Female and Male Fertility

Some of the negative consequences of smoking on the female reproduction ability include:

• Damage to the fallopian tubes that produce healthy eggs
• Lower rates of fertilization of the eggs with IVF
• Chances of reaching menopause early by 1 to 4 years
• Increased risk of unprompted abortion and ectopic pregnancy
• Alterations in ovum
• Likelihood of occurrence of cancer in the babies of smoking parents

Significant consequences of smoking contributing to male infertility include:

• Decreased sperm count in men
• lterations in the sperm morphology, sperm strength and quantity of ejaculated semen
• Infertility caused by changes in the series of DNA in sperm cells

Infertility itself can be cured with the help of treatments and medications and IVF success rates are higher in women that have quit smoking. Fertility improves considerably in women who have quit smoking. Couples planning on starting a family and particularly those experiencing problems while conceiving should make a maximum effort towards cessation of smoking..

East Bay Fertility Center, Dublin, California (www.ebfertility.com) offers personalized medical counseling and treatments for infertile couples. The clinic’s experienced medical staff is headed by Dr. Ellen U. Snowden, Medical Director and physician who is Board Certified in Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Endocrinology. East Bay Fertility Center provides comprehensive infertility services and motivates infertile patients throughout their course of infertility treatment. East Bay specializes in providing infertility treatments such as in-vitro fertilization, insemination, Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, egg donation and gestational surrogacy.

Visit our website http://ebfertility.com/ to know more about different treatment options that we provide.

Male Infertility Treatment Options

Male infertility can be tested through many different tests like semen analysis. The main reason for male infertility could be lower sperm count and poor quality sperm making pregnancy more difficult to occur. East Bay Fertility Center has been successfully delivering a valuable service-of-lifetime in dealing with personal pain and emotional stress of the patients with their experienced fertility specialists who are well equipped to identify the reasons causing infertility.