Men often get lost in fertility treatment. Unless there is a male factor issue, usually 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. The Silent Struggle So often, men are left to struggle silently and to be strong for their women. This is left over from our more tribal days when men went out to battle and hunt and returned to protect and feed their families. No one tuned in about how “The Guy” was feeling.

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. One of the reasons may be due to male infertility. How Common is Male Infertility? Most population-based studies agree that infertility affects 15 to 20% of couples. Male Factor Infertility: Nonexistent Sperm Versus Sperm Deficiency This category of “unexplained infertility” is

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