Male Infertility A child of my own - Andrology Australia

Where can sperm production go wrong?The sperm production process can be interruptedat various stages for a number of reasons:• Absence of germ cells (or Sertoli cell-onlysyndrome): The testis may completely lack thedeveloping cells (germ cells) that normally divideto become sperm. This is a severe form of spermproduction problem and makes the man sterile ifthere are no sperm in the semen or in the testes• Maturation or germ cell arrest: Sometimesgerm cells stop developing and do not becomemature sperm• Hypospermatogenesis: When the numberof sperm produced is lower than normal, onlysmaller numbers travel from the testes throughthe male reproductive system and into theejaculated fluid.How common is male infertility?Infertility is a widespread problem. For about onein five infertile couples the problem lies solely inthe male partner (male infertility). 1In about one in four couples, there are problemswith both male and female partners, and in aboutone in seven infertile couples, the cause of theproblem cannot be found (idiopathic infertility).MALE INFERTILITY 11