Subfertility also comes under the heading of desire to have babies and a family. It does not mean “infertile” which is a rare condition where a couple cannot conceive at all. In the case of subfertility,unfortunately ten per cent of the married population will have difficulty in conceiving.

Factors that lead to sub fertility

If we consider about male factors that leads to sub fertility, genetic factors , environmental factors contributing to abnormal sperm production and substance abuse ( hard drugs, alcohol & tobacco leads to abnormal sperm production) can be taken as major causes. Environmental pollution may lead to male subfertility as well.

Treatment options

If the male does not have sperm in his seminal analysis report one has to consider blocking of sperm conducting tubes to the penis or testicular atrophy. A well trained andrologoist will look into these problems and may treat the condition.

In the case of the male, if there is no sperm production the alternative is artificial insemination of the donor sperm. This will be done in a well equipped andrology laboratory with the consent of both parents. Some people may not agree with this procedure.

If the seminal analysis report shows low counts or decreased motility sperm this person’s sperms will be processed in the laboratory and deposited in the womb at the time of ovulation. This procedure is called intra uterine insemination or IUI. This is a standard form of treatment at the moment.

If the semen counts are very low one sperm may be injected into the ovum under microscopic vision using micro pipettes. This is called intra cytoploasmic sperm injection or ICSI. This also an available form of treatment in Sri Lanka.

Female subfertility due to fallopian tube block is treated by a procedure called invitro fertilisation (IVF) and embryo transfer. In this procedure female eggs are aspirated under ultra sound guidance and fertilized with man’s sperm in the laboratory. When the fertilised ovum is in correct size it will be transferred to the uterus at correct time. These highly specialised treatment procedures are costly and labour intensive.