Andrology - UR International

The social changes we are living through have modified our reproductive habits and have contributed to sterility being a frequent problem with repercussions at different levels.

Fertility problems affect 15% of couples of reproductive age and in approximately 50% of cases, the origin lies in the male factor.

It is possible that these figures will increase, both because of the delay in the age of conception and because of the influence of toxic and environmental factors to which the spermatozoon is particularly sensitive.

Causes of male infertility

The Specialised Andrology Unit at UR HLA Vistahermosa is dedicated to the study of male infertility, providing a personalised and comprehensive response to each patient in the approach to their reproductive health.

It is important to emphasise that appropriate treatment is based on a correct diagnosis. Knowing the cause of sterility is fundamental, as it will allow us to indicate the best therapeutic option.

There are many factors that can influence a man’s reproductive capacity. Among them:

Advanced age
Hormonal alterations
Genetic alterations
Infections. Varicocele
Immunological factors
Mechanical factors (sexual dysfunctions)
Toxic, medicamentous and occupational factors
Unknown cause

Treatment of male infertility:

The aim of our experts is to treat the cause responsible for sterility and to achieve spontaneous gestation. In some cases, there are diagnostic and therapeutic limitations that prevent us from doing so, so we resort to Assisted Reproduction Techniques.

We must analyse in depth the gametes involved in an assisted reproduction treatment. The first thing we take into account in our work is that behind each sperm we are using there is a patient.

In the study of men, not only are the data provided by a conventional semen analysis important: sperm count, motility, morphology and vitality, but there are other tests that provide more information on the fertilising capacity of the sperm.

In Assisted Reproduction treatments, sperm can come from the ejaculate or the testicle. Testicular sperm are recovered when they do not exist in the ejaculate, which is due to an alteration in their production or a defect in the system that transports them.

Recourse to a sperm donor is the last option, and is only indicated in cases where it is impossible to use the patient’s own sperm.