Most population-based studies agree that infertility affects 15 to 20% of couples.  It is the job of the reproductive medicine specialist to determine the unique cause of each couple’s challenge in establishing a healthy pregnancy.  While sometimes the answer is quickly uncovered (failure to ovulate, blocked fallopian tubes, or the complete absence of sperm), many patients are faced with the difficult reality that their diagnostic workup has not produced a clear reason for their difficulty becoming pregnant. This category of “unexplained infertility” is the reason why determining the incidence of male factor infertility is so difficult.  We do know that a complete lack

Men often get lost in fertility treatment. Unless there is a male factor issue, all of the attention is on their partner. They have several big performances to make to supply the other 50% of the baby, but beyond that – not too many people are asking “The Guy” how he’s doing. So often men are left to struggle silently and be strong for their women. I think this is left over from our more tribal days when men went out to battle and hunt, and came back to protect and feed their family. No one was really that tuned in about how

We like to think of ourselves as enlightened, capable of intelligent discussion and rational action. Few things put those admirable qualities to the test as fast as male infertility. Mention male factor at a party and reflexively, most men blanch, squeeze their knees together and change the subject, even if they’re not affected. Not that things haven’t improved over the years. They have. The atmosphere has palpably relaxed. The famous and not-so-famous talk about their personal trials with and triumphs over infertility. True, it’s still mostly women doing the talking. But their candor, coupled with the streaming reports about medical and