What Happens If You Release Sperm Daily? Doctor Explains
What happens if you release sperm daily? Releasing sperm itself does no physical harm: it will not weaken your body, lower your testosterone, or reduce your sperm count. But that does not make compulsive daily masturbation harmless — the real damage is behavioural, not a loss of any vital fluid. As a practising andrologist in Chennai, I have this conversation almost every single day. A young man sits across from me, eyes down, convinced that “taking out sperm everyday” has quietly ruined his body — made him weak, drained his energy, finished his sperm for good. He has read it in a WhatsApp forward, heard it from an uncle, seen it on a Hindi YouTube short. Let me be honest with you on both counts: the fear that semen loss is physically draining you is the wrong fear — but that does not mean releasing sperm every day is a habit I would ever recommend. Let me explain exactly why. Book a Consultation Quick Facts Releasing sperm daily does not lower your testosterone. In healthy men, serum testosterone barely shifts in the days after ejaculating, with only a small transient rise around day 7 of abstinence (Jiang, 2002). Frequent release does not “finish” your sperm. A 2025 meta-analysis found shorter abstinence does not reduce — and can even improve — semen quality (Raditya, 2025). The “weakness” you feel is real — and it has a name. That cluster of fatigue, back ache, soft erections, poor focus and low mood is Dhat syndrome — a genuine, recognised and treatable condition, driven by the anxiety-and-compulsion cycle, not by any literal loss of “vital fluid” (Prakash, 2014; Kar, 2021). But daily masturbation is NOT harmless. The real harm is behavioural: a dopamine-and-novelty conditioning loop (the Coolidge effect) that dulls real-world arousal and can drive porn-induced sexual dysfunction (Ventura-Aquino, 2018; Park, 2016). The healthy path is real intimacy, not a daily habit. I do not encourage daily masturbation; I steer men toward a real relationship and using it sparingly, if at all. What happens if you release sperm daily? The honest answer Here is the honest answer in two halves, because anything shorter is a lie. First: the loss of semen itself does nothing harmful to your body. When you ejaculate, you release roughly a teaspoon of fluid that is over 90% water, salts, fructose and prostatic secretions, with sperm a tiny fraction of the volume. Your testes and prostate replace it continuously, around the clock. Semen is not a finite store of vitality you are “spending” — that idea is folklore, not physiology. Second, and this is the part the reassuring Western articles skip: the act being physically harmless is not the same as the habit being good for you. A behaviour can be medically harmless to your fluids and still quietly cost you your drive, your real arousal and your relationships. That is the honest, complete answer — and the rest of this article is me keeping both halves of it. Is there a medically safe limit? There is no toxic physical threshold — no number of ejaculations that poisons your body or empties a tank. But “no physical limit” is not the same as “do it daily and all is well.” As a doctor, I will not hide behind the comfortable half-truth. I do not recommend daily masturbation as a habit; I have explained why in my piece on how many times masturbation can be done in a day. If you are alone by choice, treat it as an occasional walking stick — nothing more — not a daily routine your brain comes to depend on. Does releasing semen daily cause weakness? (virya nikalne ke nuksan, kamjori) This is the fear behind almost every search that lands on this page — virya nikalne ke nuksan (the harms of releasing semen), kya virya nikalne se kamjori aati hai (does releasing semen cause weakness), jyada sperm nikalne se kya hota hai (what happens if you release a lot). So let me answer it head-on. Releasing semen daily does not cause physical weakness. It does not thin your bones, drain your blood, dull your brain or shorten your life. The semen you release is replaced; your body does not run a deficit. I treat this fear with complete respect, because the distress is absolutely real even when the physical “damage” is not — but I will not feed the myth that your strength is leaking out with the fluid. It is not. Why does my body feel tired or weak after releasing? Many men genuinely do feel tired, foggy or low after ejaculating, and I never dismiss that. But the tiredness is not the lost fluid leaving your body — it is the worry wrapped around it. When a man believes he has just damaged himself, his mind floods with anxiety, guilt and self-monitoring, and that is exhausting. There is also a brief, normal hormonal wind-down after orgasm that makes you feel relaxed and sleepy for a few minutes — your body resting, not weakening. Dhat syndrome: the real condition behind the “weakness” Here is where I correct both sides of the story, carefully. The crude folk mechanics — that semen is a finite “vital fluid” and that losing it directly drains your testosterone or destroys your fertility — is medically wrong. But the weakness, fatigue, back ache, soft erections, premature ejaculation, poor focus and low mood you feel are not imaginary, and I will never call them a myth. That symptom cluster has a name: Dhat syndrome — a recognised, diagnosable and treatable condition documented for over sixty years in Indian, Chinese and South- and South-East-Asian men. It is classified under ICD-10 as a culture-bound disorder (in the neurotic/somatoform group) and is carried into ICD-11 and DSM’s cultural concepts of distress (Prakash, 2014; Kar, 2021). What Dhat syndrome looks like in my clinic What I actually see across the desk is a consistent picture: deep preoccupation and anxiety about semen loss —
Sperm Motility
Men’s Health Blogs Sperm Motility Hi, This is Dr. Shah, Consultant in Male Infertility & Sexual Health. In this post, I am going to tell you everything about sperm motility But, first, let us understand a little about normal sperm motility. What is normal sperm motility? Did you know, that the normal sperm motility as stated by the WHO 2010 Andrology Laboratory Guideline values is 40%. Most men fear they will never father a child when their semen analysis or sperm test report shows a sperm motility range less than 40%. This cannot be farther from the truth! Here is a saying I absolutely love, take a look below… In my long years of clinical experience as an Andrologist, I have seen over 286 men who had extremely low sperm motility, in the range of 10 to 20%. All these men were told to go in IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) because the professionals who treated them believed that getting pregnant with low sperm motility is not possible. I advised each and every one of them the exact opposite of what they were told. Yes, I agree they all suffered from poor sperm motility, but, that does not ever mean that it is not possible to improve it. With the right treatment and medications, we were able to increase sperm motility naturally for each and every one of them. Now here comes the bigger truth, Remember, I told you the WHO 2010 manual recommends a sperm motility index of 40 %? This value came from a study performed on over 3000 fertile fathers who were able to get their partners pregnant in the 1st year of marriage. The WHO study assessed data only from European men who gave a semen test. It chose to ignore India and China The big joke is how can you extend an apply sperm motility data from one geography or study population to another population of Indian men?? It’s like telling the apples and oranges are the same!…Read on…. the interesting stuff has not even begun… The sperm analysis or semen test data that we use to assess Male infertility is not even based on study findings from our Indian population!. The WHO did not include Indian men when doing their study. They simply said that the 40% normal sperm motile range as prescribed is for reference purpose only! and that every clinic or lab should come to a conclusion based on their own data and metrics! Thus, that is exactly why I strongly believe that with the right treatment it is possible to improve sperm progressive motility Okay now bearing this in mind.. let’s discuss on our second topic Dr. Shah Dupesh Consultant Andrologist & Sexologist Ready to improve your Reproductive Health? Discuss your concerns in a private setting and get personalized guidance tailored to your needs. Book a Call Book a Call What is the normal sperm motility for pregnancy? So how much motility is required for pregnancy?.. Well to be honest, all you need is one sperm to fertilize that egg at the right time. But truth be told, not all men are lucky enough for such a scenario. If that was the truth why would there be male infertility issues in the first place? In my clinical experience, what the lowest sperm motile range below which pregnancy chances seriously fall, is about 2% to 5%. Again the statement I make here is highly relative. In all my years, I was able to treat only one patient who had severely low sperm motility in the range of 1 to 5%. However, this patient also conceived naturally without any aggressive fertility based therapies. All said and done, for Indian men, motile sperm percentage of 35% or above is good for pregnancy. This is especially true, when his sperm count, shape, and semen volume is normal!. Because we have no other options, we try to use the WHO 2010 reference values. We do not swear by it, In all our treatments for male infertility, it is a combination of our data and clinical experience that help us make the right decision for each couple. There is and always be will chance of pregnancy with low sperm motility least for a few couples. But we cannot directly predict for whom pregnancies will happen. Thus to conclude this section, you must understand that there is strictly no normal sperm motility for pregnancy. For all practical purposes, we recommend a range of 30 to 40% sperm motility as normal Now let us further our understanding, about spermatozoa and its motility Sperm motility can be broadly classified as follows Sperm that are progressively motile. Sperms that are non progressively motile. Sperms that are immotile. We will discuss the significance of each type – Sperm progressive motility : A sperm is said to be a progressively motile sperm if it moves linearly from one field to the next. This kind of movement is called progressive in nature. What this in principle means is that, the sperm is able to move from one place to another place. Both the number of sperms (sperm count) and the total number of progressively moving sperm in the semen play a key role in pregnancy. The concept should be fairly easy to understand, remember only sperm that are able to move can reach and fertilize the egg!. While a lot of fuss was initially made about the speed of sperm movement, we now know for a fact that speed of sperm movement is not or no longer a clinically useful tool to predict pregnancy. As long as you have at least over 32% of progressively motile sperm in the ejaculate, things should turn out normal. However, do remember that even if you have sperm progressive motility lesser than 32%, pregnancy is still possible. It is only at very low values of 2 to 5% were the chances of pregnancy become less. Have a quick look at the image below to understand progressive sperm motility Sperm non-progressive motility : Okay, now let’s discuss sperm non-progressive motility. A sperm is said to have non-progressive sperm motility if it moves in circles, or if it simply vibrates around a
Can a sterile man get a woman pregnant ?
Men’s Health Blogs Can a sterile man get a woman pregnant ? In today’s awesome male infertility article we are going to discuss whether and if… “Can a sterile man get a woman pregnant?” Hi and welcome to Dr Shahs Clinic My name is Dr. Shah and I am a consultant sexologist doctor in Chennai and I primarily specialize in Male Infertility & Sexual Health. In today’s awesome post we are going to answer the question on – “Can a sterile man get a woman pregnant?” Not let us move on to the good stuff…. Okay now here is the thing… Male Infertility and Male Sterility are two completely different things!! Bear this fact well in mind, let me try to elaborate on why male infertility and male sterility should not be confused with one another… Now, a man is said to be infertile or suffer from infertility if he is unable to father a child within the 1st year of marriage in the absence of any specific problem affecting his partner. Some common causes of male infertility include – Low sperm count Low sperm motility Abnormal sperm shape Hormonal deficiencies Genetic causes Obesity and Poor Lifestyle habits Sexual Problems like erectile dysfunction and/or ejaculatory dysfunction But the most important fact to bear in mind is that a man diagnosed with male infertility can have sperm production! Most interestingly, in over 40% of the time men suffering from male fertility issues have absolutely NORMAL SPERM PRODUCTION!! Now, I am sure you understand one thing very well….male sterility is completely different from male infertility… As a result, you need to really know whether or if you can get pregnant with a sterile man?. The truth, however, can be a bit hard to understand. First of all, what are the causes of male sterility? Broadly speaking, a man is said to be completely sterile if his semen analysis report shows AZOOSPERMIA. Azoospermia means no sperm in the ejaculate! and it is a genuinely upsetting and terribly scary diagnosis for most men. Vasectomy is also a common cause of male sterility. We will briefly look at both Azoospermia and Vasectomy. Most probably, you would have heard about contraceptive procedures for men, this is called Vasectomy and it is also a method of family planning. In Vasectomy what is ultimately done is that the vas (the tube that carries sperm from the testis to the penis) is closed. However, vasectomy although highly effective in preventing a pregnancy has poor reversal success rates. This is exactly why we recommend vasectomy as a method of family planning, only after a man has completed his family!, Moreover, you would be surprised to learn that the success rate of a vasectomy reversal is seldom beyond 40%. Now let’s discuss whether an Azoospermic man can father a child ? or better yet let’s try to answer the following question .. Dr. Shah Dupesh Consultant Andrologist & Sexologist Ready to improve your Reproductive Health? Discuss your concerns in a private setting and get personalized guidance tailored to your needs. Book a Call Book a Call Can a sterile man become fertile? You most probably now understand that Azoospermic men are sterile, but… did you know that Azoospermic men can also father their child? This is possible because we have a medical technique by the name Testicular sperm extraction also called TESE. The image below explains TESE Consequently, sperms retrieved from the testis are used in fertility treatments. Sperm preservation is done for later use. So, let me ask you the question… Can a sterile man get a woman pregnant? The Answer is Hell YEAH!. Both Male Infertility and Male Sterility are definitely treatable. However, bear in mind that the success rates for treating men with problems like low sperm count, low sperm motility and other unexplained causes of male infertility are definitely better as compared to male sterility based issues. The best suggestions I can give is as follows Do not worry too much about male infertility, remember it is treatable Male sterility is a different issue altogether compared to male infertility If someone asks me can a sterile man get a woman pregnant ?, I would tell him that he needs a proper evaluation and that fertility is definitely possible with today’s technology Low sperm count and low sperm motility are not causes of male sterility. On the other hand, they are causes of male subfertility. Can a sterile man become fertile?…the answer is a definite YES. But male sterility needs the right evaluation. Subscribe to our Newsletter What does it mean to be sterile for a man? A diagnosis of male infertility can frequently break a man’s heart. Imagine, telling him he will never father a child through the natural route!. No man in the world can bear to hear a statement that he is sterile and he will never be able to father a child without a treatment. A diagnosis of a male sterility breaks men both physically and mentally. Men may not be able to sustain a normal sexual life after a diagnosis of male sterility. This scenario frequently occurs in a fertility center or fertility clinic when the male partner is diagnosed with Azoospermia. This happens simply because most fertility centers in India do not employ a full time qualified Andrologist to deal with the agony men face!. A sad story right? When Vasectomy reversal fails, men break down. Normally, a vasectomy reversal is done for those men who completed their family. However, in some instances, they may want to try for a child especially when unforeseeable circumstances cause the death of a sibling. Most married men fill the void left by the death of a previous child by trying for a baby, some other couples though may just dissolve their marriage to avoid the pain of seeing each other… So, to finally conclude… I hope you enjoyed reading this article on “Can a sterile man get a woman pregnant?”. Now that you know the truly scientific answer to this question, the next time someone blames a loved one for fertility issues YOU know you
Semen analysis : The Hard Truth
Men’s Health Blogs Semen analysis : The Hard Truth Semen Analysis: What you should know? Semen analysis also called sperm test in layman terms remains the gold standard test of Choice to assess a male’s fertility potential. Hello!!! This is Dr. Shah, and I am Consultant Andrologist and Sexologist doctor in Chennai and in this article, I am going to share with you some very interesting facts about the semen test. Here is the interesting bit… Now, when you look back into the past 20 or 30 odd years, it is very interesting to note a few things… Such as… Over 3.5 million babies are born every year through fertility therapies IVF procedures world over are increasing month on month and there seems to be no let off. Over 60% of the time, male infertility is the biggest cause of childlessness in a couple. What’s even sadder is that men are seldom blamed for fertility issues in conservative societies (eg: India) Over 20 to 30% of the time semen analysis tests would reveal true causes of male fertility like Azoospermia. Dr. Shah Dupesh Consultant Andrologist & Sexologist Ready to improve your Reproductive Health? Discuss your concerns in a private setting and get personalized guidance tailored to your needs. Book a Call Book a Call This is exactly why we urge all men who come to our clinic to get a semen analysis done Now, as per the WHO 2010 reference laboratory values… A man is said to have a normal sperm test if he has A sperm concentration greater than 15 million/ml Sperm motility greater than 40% And last but not least, his normal sperm shape should be around 3% However, there is a catch!… Just having your semen report within those values mentioned above DOES NOT GUARANTEE A PREGNANCY!. Nature ultimately decides when pregnancy should happen, our job is to optimize the chances of a couple to achieve a pregnancy. Thus, it becomes very important for a thorough evaluation of both partners in a fertility clinic. Subscribe to our Newsletter Hope you enjoyed the Video and the short Article, Do share it with your friends and loved ones. And feel free to drop me questions through the contact form given below! If you looking for a sperm test in chennai get in touch with us below This is Dr. Shah, and I look forward to seeing you soon with more information to help you through your fertility journey. References: http://www.webmd.com/ infertility-and-reproduction/semen-analysis Get in touch with us below TAGS: INFERTILITY, MALE INFERTILITY, SEMEN ANALYSIS, SPERM TEST Related Blogs Recent Blogs Having more doubts? Consult with our doctor Consult with Dr. Shah Leave Your Comment Cancel Reply Logged in as Dr Shah Dupesh. Log out? Δ
How Do You Know If You Have a Low Sperm Count? Signs & Symptoms
You cannot see or feel a low sperm count — which is exactly why one simple test matters. Written and medically reviewed by Dr Shah Dupesh, MBBS, DCE, FASM — Consultant Andrologist & Sexologist, Chennai. · Last reviewed: 15 July 2026. The honest answer, straight away The signs of a low sperm count are almost always invisible — it usually causes no symptoms you can see or feel. It does not change your sex drive, your erections, how much you ejaculate, or how your semen looks — almost every man with a low count feels completely normal. The only way to truly know is a semen analysis, a simple, low-cost lab test. A handful of clues (trouble conceiving after a year, testicular changes, or low-testosterone signs) can hint that a check is due — but they are hints, not proof. I am Dr Shah Dupesh, a practising andrologist in Chennai, and “how do I know if my sperm count is low?” is one of the questions men ask me most quietly — usually after searching for it late at night. So let me speak to you directly, because the honest answer is reassuring and probably not what you are bracing for: a low sperm count is almost always invisible. You cannot judge it by how sex feels, how firm your erections are, or how your semen looks. This page walks you through the few clues that are genuinely worth noticing, the many things that tell you nothing, what the actual numbers mean, and the one test that gives a clear answer. In a nutshell What every man wondering about his count should know The essentials I give men in my clinic — what a low sperm count does and does not feel like, and the calm next step. 1 It is usually silent Most men with a low count have no symptoms at all — normal erections, normal desire, a normal-looking ejaculate. You cannot feel it. 2 Sex and semen fool you How sex feels and how your semen looks say almost nothing about the sperm inside it. A watery or a thick ejaculate can each carry a perfectly normal count. 3 A few clues do matter Trouble conceiving after a year, testicular pain or a lump, very low semen volume, or low sex drive with reduced body hair are worth acting on. 4 Know the real number Below 16 million sperm per millilitre is “low” (WHO 2021). Many popular sites still quote the older 15 million figure. 5 Only a test tells you A semen analysis is the only way to actually know — quick, inexpensive, and usually repeated once to be sure. 6 Often improvable A low count is frequently not permanent. Lifestyle changes over a 2–3 month sperm cycle, and treating the cause, often lift the numbers. Can you feel or tell if your sperm count is low? (Almost never) This is the single most important thing to take away, because it saves a lot of needless worry: a low sperm count has no reliable outward signs. Your fertility lives in the microscopic number and quality of sperm cells, and you simply cannot see, feel or sense that from the outside. In my clinic I regularly meet men with a strong physique, a healthy libido and firm erections whose semen analysis shows a very low count — and quieter men, worried sick, whose counts are perfect. How you look and how you perform in bed do not track your sperm count. This is not just my clinical impression. It is exactly why the major guidelines — the AUA/ASRM male-infertility guideline, and clinics like Mayo and Cleveland — build the entire male work-up around the semen analysis: a man can have completely normal sexual function and still have an abnormal count, and the only way to assess sperm is to test them (Schlegel et al., AUA/ASRM, 2021). So if you have been quietly studying yourself for “symptoms,” you are looking in the wrong place — finding no “symptoms” proves nothing either way. First, what actually counts as a “low” sperm count? Before we talk signs, it helps to know the number, because “low” has a precise meaning. The World Health Organization’s 6th-edition manual (2021) sets the lower reference limit for sperm concentration at 16 million sperm per millilitre. Below that is called oligozoospermia — a low sperm count. You will still see many popular health pages quoting 15 million; that is the older 2010 figure, now superseded. These numbers are not a pass/fail line for having a baby — they are the 5th-percentile values measured in recently-fertile men — but they are the yardstick every lab uses. The WHO 2021 lower reference limits — the yardstick your semen-analysis report is read against. WHO semen reference limits — the current (2021) numbers vs the older ones you may still see What the lab measures WHO 2021 (6th ed.) lower limit Older 2010 figure Sperm concentration 16 million / mL 15 million / mL Total sperm per ejaculate 39 million 39 million Total motility (moving sperm) 42% 40% Progressive motility 30% 32% Vitality (live sperm) 54% 58% Normal shape (morphology) 4% 4% Semen volume 1.4 mL 1.5 mL A few related terms are worth knowing, because a report can read as more than just “low”: severe oligozoospermia means fewer than 5 million/mL; cryptozoospermia means almost none — sperm are found only after the lab spins the sample down; and azoospermia means no sperm at all in the ejaculate. If your report throws up any of these, our plain-English guide to reading a semen analysis explains exactly what each number means, and azoospermia has its own, often treatable, causes. Low count, low motility, or low morphology? They are not the same thing Here is a distinction that trips up almost everyone who reads their own report. “Sperm count” is only one of three things a semen analysis measures, and the three can fail independently: Count (concentration) — how many sperm
How Do I Know If My Husband Is Infertile? Signs of Male Infertility
You usually cannot tell if your husband is infertile from the outside — most infertile men look and perform completely normally. A Chennai andrologist explains the real signs, the myths, and the one test that gives a clear answer.
Smoking and Sperm : How does smoking affect sperm quality?
Men’s Health Blogs Smoking and Sperm How does smoking affect sperm quality? Does smoking affect my chances of becoming a father? Hi, This is Dr Shah Dupesh, Consultant Andrologist, to answer the aforementioned question in a single line.. Yes it will!. And you better stop smoking at the earliest….Better still stop it right away after reading this post. Cigarette smoke contains over 43 known scientifically documented carcinogens that can impair your sperms motility, sperm concentration and also disrupt your sperms DNA. Smoking has been associated with numerous other cancers too. What is very interesting is that there are three types of smoke….. Dr. Shah Dupesh Consultant Andrologist & Sexologist Ready to improve your Reproductive Health? Discuss your concerns in a private setting and get personalized guidance tailored to your needs. Book a Call Book a Call They are namely, first hand smoke, second hand smoke and last of all third hand smoke. A. First hand smoke is what the smoker inhales. B. Second hand smoke is what the people around him inhale (while he happily exhales). C. Third hand smoke is when you inhale the residual smoke in an area where people smoke e.g. commonly in a hotel room. What is important is that all three forms of smoke can affect a man’s sperm Third hand smoke contains nitrosamines that are mutagenic and can disrupt sperm DNA thus impairing a man’s future fertility. Interestingly, third hand smoke can also impair your chances of conception post costly fertility therapies. My advice… Stop Smoking When You Are Planning For A Pregnancy My father smoked, my grandfather smoked, they all fathered tens of children. Then why can’t I do the same? It is important to understand that sometimes cigarette smoke and its effects may be trans-generational…….. to put it in simple terms the effects of smoke and its dirty products may not directly manifest in the smoker but may affect his yet unborn child and prospective children by causing mutations at the gamete cellular level. Although your ancestors smoked and fathered children at one point in time, this gives no guarantee that you would spontaneously father a child while smoking. Time to achieve a pregnancy is definitely longer in men who smoke compared to men who do not smoke. Importantly, learn to always look at the bigger picture…… smoking increases not just the risk of infertility, it affects your heart, lungs, almost all body systems and increases your risk of undergoing an adverse cardiovascular event like stroke/myocardial infarction, obstructive lung disease and among numerous other cancers. I still feel you should quit smoking!. It is not easy, but trust me it is worth it. Be persistent!…… ……in quitting even the thought of smoking Subscribe to our Newsletter My wife smokes. Will it affect her chance of getting pregnant? It definitely will screw up her chance of conception big time!!. Smoking in women will affect her chance to conceive spontaneously and can have terrible effects on the unborn fetus. Hope you enjoyed reading this short post. If you are looking for a Sexology clinic in chennai get in touch with us below TAGS: ABNORMAL SPERM, BAD SPERM SHAPE, LOW SPERM COUNT, MALE FERTILITY, MALE INFERTILITY, MALE INFERTILITY CAUSES, SMOKING, SPERM DNA DAMAGE Related Blogs Recent Blogs Having more doubts? Consult with our doctor Consult with Dr. Shah Leave Your Comment Cancel Reply Logged in as Dr Shah Dupesh. Log out? Δ
Male fertility: What’s the Big Deal?
Men’s Health Blogs Male fertility: What’s the Big Deal? Male fertility issues are rampantly rising around the globe. The WHO recently declared infertility as a public health problem. Hello and welcome! This is Dr. Shah, consultant Andrologist at Dr. Shahs Clinic for Male Infertility & Sexual Health and in today’s post, I am gonna share with you 15 points on infertility in men… first of all, I want you to quickly read the content in the image below… Infertility in men is not an easy issue to tackle. Men diagnosed with male fertility issues frequently breakdown emotionally and feel sense of worthlessness and/or failure.. Thus from a medical viewpoint it becomes imperative that these issues are handled delicately and the medical practitioner should empathize with the patient. Now keeping this in mind, lets look at a few common questions that I keep getting asked in my clinic time and again. MALE FERTILITY FAQ’s A. What are the causes of infertility in men? Surprisingly, a large number of diseases can consequently lead to Infertility in men. A few of them are as follows 1. A problem affecting brain structures like the pituitary or hypothalamus 2. Genetic problems like Klinefelter’s syndrome/chromosomal anomalies 3. Y-chromosome Micro-deletion 4. Idiopathic infertility (cause is unknown). In 30% of men we really do not know, why infertility occurs! 5. Trauma to the Testis can also damage and affect the sperm output 6. An infection that affects the testis and its ducts that transport sperm. This can block sperm transport 7. Testicular tumors can effectively destroy the testis and hence sperm production 8. A testis that has not descended into the scrotum 9. Chemotherapy/radiation for other cancers 10. The use of Certain drugs 11. Sexual problems like erectile dysfunction/pain during sex/no ejaculation 12. Other severe systemic diseases B. Are their any Male infertility Symptoms? Unfortunately, most of the time their are absolutely no symptoms of infertility in men… First of all, male fertility problems are usually the suspect only when no pregnancy has happened spontaneously for the female partner even after one year of regular unprotected sexual intercourse…. ….but, some male fertility issues could be a suspect when a man sometimes has difficulty in achieving and/or maintaining erections. Since if a man has a difficulty in performing sexual intercourse, this is suggestive of a male hormonal deficiency, …although one must rule out other associated psychological causes of the sexual problem. Hence, it would be wise to get a thorough physical examination and also get a hormonal evaluation with a medical professional at the earliest. A semen analysis is a must and is also probably the first line investigation for male fertility assessment. C. Are their physical symptoms of low sperm count or are their any signs of low sperm count? This is probably the most commonest question I get!. Unfortunately their are absolutely no physical symptoms a man would feel if he has a low sperm count. Men usually have a normal sexual life and are also most of the time completely unaware that they producing semen with low sperm counts. Most men are caught by surprise only on the day when a male fertility assessment is done. Interestingly, many men who presented to our clinic in the last couple of years have been diagnosed with AZOOSPERMIA (which means no sperm in the ejaculate). Some men with male infertility will also have extremely low sperm motility and a combination of very low sperm count These men while sadly infertile, seem to have a normal sexual life…. at-least till the time they were diagnosed with this dreaded condition!. A diagnosis of male infertility in itself sometimes can severely affect a mans sexual life Dr. Shah Dupesh Consultant Andrologist & Sexologist Ready to improve your Reproductive Health? Discuss your concerns in a private setting and get personalized guidance tailored to your needs. Book a Call Book a Call D. Is their a Male fertility test or a Male infertility test? Male fertility is best assessed with a simple semen analysis that can be done at any well certified laboratory that have trained personnel for performing the test. The semen sample is usually collected by masturbation into a sterile on toxic wide-mouthed container provided by the laboratory using a DRY HAND. The collection is preferably done in a private room within the laboratory premises. Exercise caution and stay away from ill-equipped laboratories that are not designed to do Semen Analysis!. Since over 70% of the time you could an erroneous report. A misdiagnosis is very common in this specialty. As semen analysis is a complex test that requires some degree of training and orientation. Sadly their is an absolute paucity of trained places in our country where you could get an accurate report. Feel free to drop me an mail and I will be happy to help you through. E. Male fertility test cost?. Is it expensive?. Are their other male fertility tests? A simple semen analysis can range from anywhere between Rs 200/- to Rs 1200/-. The cost usually widely varies from place to place. Other tests for male fertility assessment are listed below. HINT: Never go for an automated semen analysis estimation A. A Hormonal Workup is done usually as routinely for patients, but preferably if patients are suspected to have a hormonal deficiency B. Ultrasound scan of the testis may be able to give an accurate estimation of testis size. Interestingly, a certain degree of correlation is seen between testis size and sperm output C. Karyotyping as a test is recommended only in select groups of patients were a genetic problem is suspect, in addition to Y-chromosome micro-deletion mentioned below D. Y-chromosome micro-deletion assessment, in addition, is preferably done for all patients who present with a sperm count of of less than 5 million/ml. The normal sperm count for male fertility as per the WHO is 15 million/ml of semen E. Finally, patients can undergo a semen culture if and when the doctor suspects a urinary tract infection or if the semen shows many round cells.