challenges-male-fertility-specialists

Challenges Finding Male Fertility Specialists

Infertility affects up to 15% of all couples worldwide, and up to 50% of these couples will have a male factor contribution. Common causes of male infertility may result from hormonal or anatomical issues, such as varicoceles. These are important to identify because if corrected, they can improve semen parameters and pregnancy rates. Other procedures that can be performed in men with infertility include testicular sperm extractions or vasectomy reversals, which can each be used in select men with no sperm in their ejaculate.

In spite of this, male factor infertility is often overlooked, and a possible explanation for this is poor access to care. Recently, a study published in Fertility and Sterility set out to determine how easy it is to find a male fertility specialist online.  The authors found that most searches for male infertility specialists identified websites for obstetrics and gynecology physicians. Additionally, many of these websites made no mention of interventions or treatments that can be made for male factor infertility.

Round Rock based male fertility specialist Dr. Luke Machen states,  “We’ve definitely made progress in terms of increasing awareness for male factor infertility, but studies like this show we still have a long way to go in terms of increasing awareness of male infertility. At Austin Fertility, we’re very fortunate to have both male and female infertility specialists under the same roof. This set up is very unique, and allows us to provide a comprehensive approach for our couples.“

Read more on the Male Factor in Fertility

Read more on why Fertility Takes Two