What are the causes of infertility in men?

Male infertility is far more common than people think and account for around a third of all infertility cases (Ref: HFEA).

Most of these are likely to be sperm disorders such as low sperm count etc.

The main causes of male infertility are:

  • Low sperm count (oligspermia)
  • Absence of sperm (azoospermia)
  • Injury to the testicles
  • Hormonal disorder
  • Variococele
  • Trauma or disease of the vas deferens
  • Medical conditions which affect fertility
  • Side effects from certain medications
  • Exposure to environmental factors and toxins
  • Genetic disorder (e.g. chromosome abnormality)
  • Age (male fertility can start to decline from the mid thirties)
  • Lifestyle issues, e.g. smoking

And not forgetting a small percentage of cases in which the cause of the infertility cannot be found. This is known as ‘idiopathic infertility’.

Male Infertility Guide Index:



© Medic8® | All Rights Reserved