Doctors worry about male infertility increasing

Sperm banks and sperm donation becoming part of public consciousness also draws attention to an issue hitherto discussed in hushed tones - male infertility. Whenever a couple is unable to conceive, it is assumed in Indian society that the female partner is at fault. Doctors, however, say that in more than half the cases, infertility or inability to conceive can be attributed to the male partner.

A decade earlier, male infertility was blamed in around 20% of cases where couples could not conceive naturally. This number has risen to around 50% in recent times, say doctors. Many environmental factors and lifestyle choices are considered to be responsible for the increasing male factor infertility.

"The main factors causing infertility among men still remain stress and increased consumption of alcohol and tobacco products. These days, we see two extreme sides of the spectrum of infertility. Most men suffering from it are either those holding white collared jobs, like in the IT industry, with a lot of stress and disruption of the entire routine, or those with poor nutritional intake," said gynaecologist Dr Chaitanya Shembekar, who runs a fertility centre in the city.

Gynaecologist Dr Laxmi Shrikhande, vice-president of Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) agrees with him. "Ten year ago, somewhere between 10 to 20% men would need to be treated for infertility. The number has grown tremendously in recent times," she said, blaming increased use of devices like mobiles and laptops for the development.

"Diabetes among younger men can also contribute to the prevalence of infertility. The problem can be either no sperm formation in the body (called azoospermia) or low sperm quality, which includes factors like low motility or non-functional sperms. The hormones testosterone, prolactin or in some rare cases thyroid can be low," said endocrinologist Dr Shailesh Pitale.

He said that after finding the reason for lower production of a particular hormone, it can be easily replaced. In a few cases, he said, there could be some structural problems like obstruction of passages that release sperms, which can be corrected surgically.

Urologist Dr Suhas Salpekar believes that infertility has always been in equal proportion among males and females. "The only change seen in recent times is openness among the Indian men to get themselves checked and seek treatment. In fact, there are men who come even before marriage to get their semen analysed. I do not recommend men to go to such extremes, but when a couple has been trying to conceive for over a year and cannot do so, both partners must get checked," he said.

He credits the ever-rising temperatures and increased chemical content in the air for increasing incidence of infertility.

"Earlier, even if a man was told he may be contributing to infertility, they would deny it. Now, many of them are seeking treatment, proving the acceptance of the condition as a medical problem," said urologist Dr Dhananjay Bokare. However, he added that most couples are still referred to urologists by gynaecologists, after the wife has undergone a complete check up.