When it comes to infertility treatment in the United States, research has shown that women have the advantage. Despite efforts to increase awareness and treatment opportunities, men still face greater challenges in finding access to sexual and reproductive health care. But, a new report from experts at John Hopkins and the federally funded Male Training Center for Family Planning and Reproductive Health aims to level the playing field by providing doctors and health officials with uniform clinical guidelines for treating issues related to male fertility. The report lists the sexual and reproductive health tests, exams and treatments that doctors should be offering to all of their male patients on a regular basis. It also provides physicians with advice for effectively discussing sexual and reproductive health issues.
“In nearly 60 percent of subfertile couples, male infertility is a primary or contributing factor,” says Dr. Parviz Kavoussi, a respected specialist in male infertility from Austin, Texas. Infertility is diagnosed when a couple fails to achieve a pregnancy. Male infertility can be caused by infection, medications, genetic factors, hormonal issues, environmental toxins, chemotherapy, or physical issues like a blocked duct, varicocele or ejaculation problem. Treatments involve identifying and correcting any underlying medical issues. Medication switches, lifestyle changes, surgical fixes and sperm retrieval are common treatments that increase the likelihood of achieving a pregnancy.
“We are striving to get better, but we still do a fairly poor job at a national level of getting men in for fertility evaluations when the couple has difficulty conceiving. Part of this is due to the dogma and routine, and part of it is that male reproductive health is simply not on a lot of physicians’ radar,” explains Dr. Kavoussi. While he appreciates the interest this new report may draw to the subject, he does not see it as a cure for what ails male infertility treatment; as he points out, both the American Society of Reproductive Medicine and the American Urological Association already offer guidelines for the management of male infertility. “The bottom line is that we just need to be doing a better job,” Dr. Kavoussi says.
An award-winning, fellowship trained reproductive urologist, Dr Kavoussi provides care to male infertility patients at Austin Fertility Reproductive Medicine/Westlake IVF, a family-oriented fertility practice that is the only private practice in the United States to offer its patients care from fellowship trained specialists in both male and female infertility. Board certified by the American Board of Urology, he is considered a leader in the field of Reproductive Urology and is recognized for his active clinical research in male fertility and sexual medicine. Dr Kavoussi provides a variety of medical and surgical treatments for male infertility and male sexual health, including mini-incision microsurgical and robot assisted vasectomy reversals, sperm retrievals, varicocele repairs, and interventions for erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, low testosterone and Peyronie’s disease.
To schedule a personal male infertility consultation with Dr. Kavoussi, contact Austin Fertility and Reproductive Medicine/Westlake IVF at (512) 444-1414.
