The normal male fertility process involves being able to make enough mature sperm of the right size and shape and get those sperm to reach and fertilise the egg, thereby achieving pregnancy. In general, men reach their peak fertility levels at about the age of 25 and fertility levels start to decline after the age of 40. However, many men can remain fertile right up until the age of 80 and beyond.
Male fertility requires many complex biological conditions to be met, including:
The issue of male infertility is a sensitive one for men and their partners. The psychological impact of infertility upon individuals or couples affected by it may be significant. It can result in distress, anxiety, relationship difficulties and possibly depression Health Care Store in Canada.
Infertility for a couple is commonly defined as the failure to achieve pregnancy after regular unprotected sex for at least a year. Some couples have never been able to conceive – this is known as primary infertility. Secondary infertility describes couples who have previously been pregnant at least once, but have not been able to achieve another pregnancy.
Male infertility is common. About one in six couples attempting their first pregnancy meet with disappointment. The cause of infertility tends to follow the rule of thirds. Approximately, the problem is with the male one-third of the time, with the female one-third of the time and with both one-third of the time. Therefore the male is at least partly responsible in about 50 per cent of all cases of infertile couples.
The production of sperm is known medically as spermatogenesis. This process occurs in the ducts and tubes of the testes. Cell division there produces mature sperm cells known as spermatozoa. These sperm cells contain one half of a man’s genetic code. The process of sperm development takes about eighty days to produce a mature sperm from start to finish. Therefore any illness or infection a man may have had at the start of the cycle may still affect sperm production two or three months later, even if he is well at the time of examination.
Sperm are produced better and survive longer in a low-temperature environment. This is the main reason why the testes are outside the body. For this reason you should be cautious about wearing any clothing, such as very tight-fitting underpants or trousers, or activities – such as excessive use of saunas or steam-rooms – that can increase the temperature of sperm. Sitting on a bicycle saddle can also have an adverse effect on sperm production, particularly if you are wearing tight-fitting shorts.