Oligospermia is a medical condition characterized by a low sperm count in the semen. If the sperm count is less than 15 million sperm per milliliter (mL), it is called oligospermia.
There are many possible causes of oligospermia, including the following:
- Varicocele
- Infection
- Ejaculation issues
- Hormonal imbalance
- Medications
- Genetic conditions
- Chemical exposure, Radiation,
- Overheating of testicles
- Anabolic steroid use
- Chronic Stress
- Lifestyle Factors (Smoking, Drugs, Alcohol, Being overweight)
Treatment of Oligospermia
Oligospermia can be treated with the following methods:
Lifestyle Changes.
Lifestyle changes can often help improve semen count and quality. Losing weight, avoiding hot tubs and baths, and eliminating tobacco, marijuana, and recreational drug use will help increase sperm count naturally. In addition, to increase the sperm count, it is necessary to be at the ideal weight, exercise, eat healthy and take antioxidant supplements.
Hormone therapy.
Hormones play a very important role in the fertility and reproductive system. Testosterone, (FSH) and (LH) are the three important male fertility hormones that drive the sperm production process. All three hormones need to be in the right balance for healthy sperm production and optimal male fertility. Otherwise, hormonal imbalance can cause infertility. Hormonal medications should be used under the supervision of a doctor.
Surgery.
If the cause of oligospermia is due to varicocele, its treatment is surgical. If pregnancy does not occur within 1 year after varicocele surgery, Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) should be applied.
Assisted Reproduction Techniques (ART).
If the above-mentioned treatment options have been applied and there is still no pregnancy, assisted reproductive techniques should be applied. The assisted reproductive technology to be applied varies depending on whether the oligospermia is mild, moderate or severe. For example: in severe oligospermia cases due to genetic disorder, first Micro-TESE is applied and then fertilization is performed with the IVF/ICSI method. In case of mild and moderate oligospermia, sperm is obtained by PESA/MESA method and IVF/ICSI technique is applied.
