Low Sperm Count

Low Sperm Count means that the fluid (semen) you ejaculate during an orgasm contains fewer sperm than normal.

A low sperm count is also called oligospermia. A complete absence of sperm is called azoospermia. Your sperm count is considered lower than normal if you have fewer than 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen.

Having a low sperm count decreases the odds that one of your sperm will fertilize your partner’s egg, resulting in pregnancy. Nonetheless, many men who have a low sperm count are still able to father a child.

The main sign of LSC is the inability to conceive a child. There might be no other obvious signs or symptoms.

In some men, an underlying problem such as an inherited chromosomal abnormality, a hormonal imbalance, dilated testicular veins or a condition that blocks the passage of sperm may cause signs and symptoms.

The production of sperm is a complex process and requires normal functioning of the testicles (testes) as well as the hypothalamus and pituitary glands — organs in your brain that produce hormones that trigger sperm production.

Once sperm are produced in the testicles, delicate tubes transport them until they mix with semen and are ejaculated out of the penis. Problems with any of these systems can affect sperm production.

A number of risk factors are linked to low sperm count and other problems that can cause LSC. They include:

• Smoking tobacco
• Drinking alcohol
• Using certain illicit drugs
• Being overweight
• Being severely depressed or stressed
• Having certain past or present infections
• Being exposed to toxins
• Overheating the testicles
• Having experienced trauma to the testicles
• Being born with a fertility disorder or having a blood relative, such as your brother or father, with a fertility disorder