The Lexington Fertility Center

Treatment for Male Infertility

The treatment for male infertility will be determined by your physician based on various medical criteria.

Some of this criteria include

  • your age, overall health, and medical history
  • the extent of the disease
  • your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
  • expectations for the course of the disease
  • your opinion or preference

There is a range of treatment options currently available for male infertility.

Treatment may include:

  • assisted reproductive technologies (ART)
  • This type of treatment may include the following:
    artificial insemination

Artificial insemination involves the placement of relatively large numbers of healthy sperm either at the entrance of the cervix or into the partner’s uterus, bypassing the cervix, to have direct access to the fallopian tubes.

IVF, GIFT, and other techniques

In vitro fertilization (IVF) or gamete intra-fallopian transfer (GIFT) have been used for the treatment of male infertility. As is the case with artificial insemination, IVF and similar techniques offer the opportunity to prepare sperm in vitro, so that oocytes are exposed to an optimal concentration of high quality, motile sperm.
microsurgical fertilization (microinjection techniques such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or ICSI)

This treatment is used to facilitate sperm penetration by injection of a single sperm into the oocyte. Fertilization then takes place under the microscope.
drug therapy

A small percentage of infertile men have a hormonal disorder that can be treated with hormone therapy. Hormonal imbalances caused by a dysfunction in the mechanism of interaction between the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the testes directly affect the development of sperm (spermatogenesis). Drug therapy may include gonadotrophin therapy, antibiotics, or another medication deemed appropriate.
surgery

Surgical therapy in male infertility is designed to overcome anatomical barriers that impede sperm production and maturation or ejaculation. Surgical procedures to remove varicose veins in the scrotum (varicocele) can sometimes serve to improve the quality of sperm.