Azoospermia is a male fertility issue that is defined as the complete lack of sperm in the ejaculate. The condition, commonly referred to as “no sperm count”, occurs in 5% of infertile men and can be divided into two categories: Obstructive Azoospermia and Non-Obstructive Azoospermia.
Obstructive Azoospermia: Sperm is being produced in the testicles, but there is a blockage such that the sperm cannot reach the ejaculate. Your testicles are normal, but your body can’t get them to make sperm. It might happen because of low hormone levels or after you’ve had chemotherapy. This type is pretty rare.
Non-Obstructive Azoospermia: There is a problem with sperm production leading to either no sperm being produced or a very low level that cannot make it all the way out of the testicles. Damage to your testicles keeps them from making sperm normally. It can happen because of:
An infection in your reproductive tract, such as epididymitis and urethritis,
a childhood illness such as viral orchitis, which causes swelling of one or both testicles, agroin injury, cancer or its treatments, like radiation, genetic conditions, such as Klinefelter’s syndrome.
There are a few types of treatment that can help men with azoospermia who want to have children.
If you have the obstructive type, surgery can remove the blockage. The more recent your blockage, the more likely it is that the surgery will be successful. If you’ve had one for less than 3 years, the chance of restoring your sperm flow is 97%, and the chance of getting a woman pregnant is 76%.
Sperm retrieval can help men with nonobstructive azoospermia or those who have a blockage but don’t want surgery. One way to do this is to use a tiny needle to draw sperm from a testicle. Then, you can freeze the sample to use later in in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Andrologists have confirmed in clinical trials that infertile men have increased levels of oxidative stress which is likely to account for poor sperm quality or zero sperm count.Although glutathione is important for strong antioxidant defences, this amino acid also has another vital role to play in male fertility.
Studies have shown that glutathione supplementation can be used to restore the important polyunsaturated fatty acid coating of sperm cells to protect integrity Consequently, healthy sperm motility and morphology can be supported through glutathione therapy.
