Male Infertility Problem: A Contemporary Review on Present Status and Future Perspective

Abstract

Semen quality plays a pivotal role in maintaining healthy fertilizing ability of spermatozoa. Male infertility is a rising global problem with an increasing declining in male semen quality among men living in Africa, Europe, North American, and Asia. Though the sperm acquire proactive mechanisms during spermatogenesis and their epididymal maturation, they still remain viable for toxic insult. Declining semen quality is a major contributor to infertility. Studies have postulated that different factors, such as exposure to pesticides, industrial chemicals, heavy metals, obesity, alcoholism, tobacco smoking, sedentary lifestyles, poor nutrient intake, oxidative stress, physiological factors, genetic factors can influence male fertility. Routine semen analysis and assays for sperm chromatin integrity are the most widely utilized and best studied adjunctive diagnostics in male infertility. Over the years, scientists have developed different treatment options for male infertility. Male infertility with known etiology can be treated successfully, but other causes like genetic factors require pragmatic approaches. This article summarizes protective mechanisms of spermatogenesis, causes, diagnosis, and both modern and traditional treatment approaches of male infertility. Further, this article highlights present issues and direction for future exploration of the male infertility problem.

Risky Business: Increasing Fertility Knowledge of Men in the General Public Using the Mobile Health Application Infotility XY

“…Impaired semen parameters, including sperm concentration, motility, and morphology, have been associated with tobacco smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, the use of drugs such as cannabis, and the use of anabolic steroids ( Leisegang & Dutta, 2021 ). Psychological stress may lead to impaired testicular function, thus negatively affecting sperm quality ( Dissanayake et al, 2019 ; Leisegang & Dutta, 2021 ). Male infertility can result from other environmental and lifestyle activities including exposure to environmental toxins such as pesticides, radiation from cell phones and Wi-Fi ( Leisegang & Dutta, 2021 ; Panner Selvam et al, 2021 ), and prolonged exposure to heat, for example through wearing tight underwear, frequent sauna use, and intensive cycling ( Leisegang & Dutta, 2021 ; Sharma et al, 2021 ).…”

Evaluation of the effect of Lepidium meyenii Walpers in infertile patients: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial

“…Infertility is described as the inability to conceive a natural pregnancy within 12 months in a couple (Dissanayake, Keerthirathna, & Peiris, 2019), and it was estimated at 15% of reproductive-aged couples worldwide (Esteves, Hamada, Kondray, Pitchika, & Agarwal, 2012;Hwang Kathleen & Lipshultz Larry, 2011). Half of the overall infertility rates are due to males: male infertility is mainly due to factors such as impaired spermatogenesis and suboptimal semen parameters (Thomas et al, 2002).…”

The Effect of Non-Thermal Plasma on the Structural and Functional Characteristics of Human Spermatozoa

“…Due to a variety of environmental, occupational and lifestyle factors, the number of couples that benefit from assisted reproduction (AR) is increasing. High-quality spermatozoa and oocytes equally contribute to the success of AR, which is why it is essential to collect and process structurally and functionally competent gametes which will subsequently impact the embryonic development and viability [ 1 , 2 ]. In particular, there is a need to constantly improve protocols for semen processing in order to prevent unnecessary sperm damage before cryopreservation, artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization.…”