Men can experience male infertility in different ways. Although you may suspect you have infertility symptoms, a doctor can run tests to determine what contributes to your infertility and if treatment can help.
Generally, a doctor will provide male infertility treatment in three ways:
- Medication
- Surgery
- Assisted reproduction
Before you start your journey to diagnosing infertility and pursuing male infertility treatment, we want to tell you that this is common and not your fault. Also, no matter what a doctor discovers about your fertility, you can still become a parent through family-building options like surrogacy.
Surrogacy professionals can give you information about how this process can help you create your family. In the meantime, you can read more about male infertility, common male infertility treatments, and more in this guide.
Disclaimer: You should always speak to a medical professional if you think you’re experiencing infertility. This article is only intended for educational purposes and should not be taken as medical advice.
What is Male Infertility?
We want to quickly note that infertility is a difficult issue that can bring up a lot of emotions, including grief. These feelings are normal, but you should never hesitate to contact an infertility counselor for extra support during your male infertility treatment journey.
Understanding Infertility
General infertility is when a couple cannot conceive after 12 months of regular, unprotected sex.
Men experience infertility as much as women (10% of the time, it’s the woman, and 10% of the time, it’s the man). And in most cases, a couple’s infertility challenges are due to several issues affecting both people.
Male Infertility Causes
A doctor may run tests to diagnose the kind of infertility you’re experiencing so they can determine the male infertility treatment necessary.
Some common tests include:
- A physical exam: A doctor will get a thorough family history, do a physical exam, and ask questions about your sexual habits and development.
- Semen analysis: A doctor will analyze a sperm sample.
Although these first two tests are most commonly performed, your physician may run additional tests, which include:
- Scrotal ultrasound
- Transrectal ultrasound
- Hormone testing
- Post-ejaculation urinalysis
- Genetic tests
- Testicular biopsy
- Specialized sperm function tests
What are Male Infertility Treatments?
After conducting any necessary tests, a doctor will consider what male infertility treatments may help.
Common male infertility treatments include:
- Surgery: Medical procedures can correct blocked vas deferens, reverse vasectomies, or retrieve sperm.
- Medication: A doctor may prescribe medicine to treat an infection, help resolve any sexual intercourse challenges, or regulate hormones.
- Assisted reproductive technology: This typically includes intrauterine insemination or in vitro fertilization. In these procedures, a man provides sperm that’s placed into their female partner at a fertility clinic or doctor’s office.
Family-Building Through Surrogacy
Deciding when it’s time to move on from male infertility treatment to another family-building option like surrogacy isn’t easy. There are many complicated emotions involved that you and your partner will likely want to discuss together and possibly with the help of an infertility counselor.
Even if you decide you aren’t ready to pursue surrogacy, a surrogacy professional can provide you with a list of infertility counselors and support groups that can provide an extra layer of help.
Working with a Surrogacy Agency
Every surrogacy involves a surrogate, intended parents, and often, a surrogacy agency. Although you can find a surrogate on your own, surrogacy agencies provide immeasurable benefits to your surrogacy journey, like:
- A surrogacy professional to support you throughout your journey
- References to other essential surrogacy professionals
- Surrogate match-making help
- Guidance through the medical surrogacy process
- The guarantee of a baby at the end of your surrogacy journey
- And more
Exploring Male Infertility Treatments and Surrogacy
You can try many male infertility treatments with the assistance of a medical professional. But, if you try different male infertility treatments and want to try another family-building option like surrogacy, surrogacy professionals can help you begin your journey to parenthood.