It is generally believed that if the sperm count in multiple formal semen tests is less than 20 million/ml, it is called oligospermia. It can significantly reduce the pregnancy rate and is a common cause of male infertility. The causes of oligozoospermia include the following 7:
① Varicocele. When varicocele occurs, the local temperature of the testicles increases and vasoactive substances increase, thus affecting the spermatogenic function of the testicles. However, the degree of varicocele is not proportional to sperm quality.
② Cryptorchidism. Cryptorchidism is one of the important reasons affecting semen quality. About 60% of patients with unilateral cryptorchidism are infertile. If the sperm density is low and cryptorchidism exists, early treatment is necessary.
③Reproductive tract infection. Chronic infection of accessory gonads can affect various laboratory indicators in semen.
④Autoimmunity. Reproductive immunology research has found that male autoimmunity can affect fertility, and anti-sperm antibodies can affect sperm production and transportation.
⑤Endocrine abnormalities. The normal male spermatogenic function depends on the normal function of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis. Disorders in any one of these links will affect the spermatogenic function. Other diseases such as thyroid and adrenal gland diseases will also affect the gonad function and cause oligozoospermia.
⑥Chromosome abnormalities. Chromosomal aberrations have serious effects on sperm density, motility and morphology.
⑦Others. Excessive scrotal temperature, radiation damage, chemical drugs and drug effects can cause oligozoospermia.
Azoospermia refers to the absence of sperm after centrifugation and sedimentation of ejaculated semen under a microscope. Azoospermia can be divided into two major categories: The first category is testicular spermatogenesis dysfunction, in which sperm cannot be produced, also known as true azoospermia. The second type is that the testicular spermatogenic function is normal, but the vas deferens is blocked and sperm cannot be discharged from the body, also known as obstructive azoospermia.
Abnormal sperm also exist in normal human semen, and the percentage is generally less than 30%. If the percentage of sperm with abnormality is higher than 50%, it is called sperm with high abnormality rate, which can lead to infertility. The presence of a large number of abnormal sperm in semen reflects testicular abnormalities; certain drugs such as furans can increase the rate of sperm abnormality; varicocele can lead to an increase in abnormal sperm, typically two-headed sperm. In addition, some acute diseases and physical and mental factors have pathogenic effects.
Semen mixed with blood is called hematospermia. It is usually pink, red, brownish-red or bloodshot. Depending on the nature of the lesion and the amount of blood it contains, it can manifest as gross hematospermia, blood clot-containing hematospermia, and microscopic hematospermia. Inflammation of seminal vesicles and prostate, tuberculosis, blood filarial worms, tuberculosisStones, injuries, etc. can cause hematospermia, among which seminal vesiculitis is the most common; some tumors such as seminal vesicles, prostate cancer, spermatic papilloma, benign prostatic hypertrophy, etc. can also cause hematospermia; varicocele and some blood system diseases can also cause hematospermia. May cause hematospermia.
Within 1 hour after ejaculation, the number of viable sperm should be above 70%. If less than 50% of the sperm have viable sperm, it is abnormal, which is called low sperm motility, also known as azoospermia. If the sperm is completely inactive, it is called necrozoospermia. Low sperm motility and necrozoospermia are one of the important causes of male infertility. The motility of sperm directly reflects the quality of sperm. According to the method recommended by WHO, sperm motility is divided into 4 levels: Level 0: Inactive, no forward movement; Level 1: Poor motility, weak forward movement; Level 2: Mobility. Generally, there is moderate forward movement; Level 3: Good movement and active forward movement. The causes are: ① Long-term abstinence and long-term non-ejaculation often lead to high sperm density, many dead sperm, and poor sperm motility. This situation is normal. Therefore, it is advisable to abstain from sex for 5 to 7 days before checking semen. ② Reproductive system infection. Reproductive system infection changes the composition of seminal plasma, decreases zinc, magnesium, citric acid, fructose, and increases pH value, which will affect sperm motility. ③ Varicocele, due to blood circulation disorders in the testicles and epididymis, increased local temperature, and accumulation of toxic substances, can reduce sperm motility.
This article is provided by Baidu Reading and is excerpted from \”The Clear \”Conception\” Plan\” Author: Sun Jianqiu and Xie Yingbiao