Male infertility - how our specialist treatments can maximise success

19th July 2016 in Treatments

This information was correct at the time of publishing. It may not reflect our current practices, prices or regulations.

Are you one of the one in 10 men in the UK who have experienced fertility issues?

A new study has revealed that although many men struggle for almost a year to conceive, almost half don’t seek help.

Male factor fertility problems are actually much more common than you might think.

According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), around a third of cases of infertility are due to problems in the male partner.

Male infertility - Where to get help

If you have been trying to get pregnant without success, the first step is to find out if there is an identifiable cause with either you or your partner. Our private fertility testing service, Fertility MOT, can be completed quickly and easily for both of you.

For men, our testing analyses every aspect of your fertility, from how well your sperm moves to its shape and ability to reach the egg.

We also perform SpermComet DNA Damage testing, which examines the amount of DNA damage – a cause of unexplained infertility and miscarriage - in each individual sperm in your sample.

We may also perform blood tests, which examine factors such as hormone levels and chromosome abnormalities, which could be affecting your sperm production and ability to have a child.

Treatments for male infertility

If the cause of your fertility problem is revealed to be a sperm disorder, the good news is that we offer many different treatments that can overcome even the most difficult of cases, for example if there is no sperm at all in your semen.

As one of the UK’s leading infertility clinics for the treatment of male infertility, our male fertility specialist Dr Steve Bromage is a leader in the field, helping many men to become fathers through our innovative and individualised approach to investigation and treatment.

Depending upon your specific diagnosis and the severity of your fertility problem, here are four solutions you may be offered:

1.    IVF

IVF helps if you have very mild male fertility problems, such as if your sperm isn’t moving as well as it should. Your sperm is mixed directly with your partner’s eggs to fertilise them in our laboratory.

 2.    Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

ICSI is the main treatment in most cases of male factor infertility. Instead of mixing the sperm with the egg in conventional IVF, ICSI instead injects a single, healthy and good quality sperm directly into the egg to fertilise it. ICSI overcomes issues such as problems with the shape of your sperm, or if you have a low sperm count.

3.    Surgical Sperm Retrieval (SSR)

Surgical Sperm Retrieval is a procedure performed if you aren’t producing any sperm. Our male factor fertility specialists are highly-skilled at SSR techniques. A day-case procedure, SSR involves sourcing and extracting viable sperm from within your testicular tissues. There are many different SSR methods, your consultant will decide which is most likely to be successful for you. Any retrieved sperm is then analysed and if suitable, used in an ICSI cycle with your partner’s eggs.

4.    Donor Sperm

If your own sperm cannot be used, we can offer you and your partner a wide choice of sperm donors with no waiting list.

All of our sperm donors are fully-screened, healthy fertile men with high quality sperm, who donate only to us. You’re able to specify any physical characteristics you’d like your sperm donor to have, in most cases men who need to use a sperm donor choose a donor whom they closely resemble.

Our Donation Team know all our sperm donors very well and along with our detailed donor profiles, they help you choose the right sperm donor for you.

Our expertise, your success

At Manchester Fertility, we treat male infertility in its many forms and causes. Not just men with a diagnosed male factor fertility issue but those experiencing fertility problems for other reasons.

Such as men who need vasectomy reversal, or men who are about to undergo medical treatment and wish to freeze sperm to help preserve their fertility.

Making an appointment

If you need specialist male fertility treatment and advice, call our Patient Advisors to make an initial appointment on 0161 300 2737.

You may also find our Guide for Men a useful overview of the many different ways we can help you become a parent.

Last updated: 20th January 2020