How Prostate Problems Affect Pregnancy
One-third of infertility cases don't have a known cause while another one-third are caused by women's problems, according to WomensHealth.gov. The final one-third are caused by men's problems. Prostate problems, for example, can impair a man's ability to produce and ejaculate healthy sperm that are able to fertilize an egg.
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Prostate Infection
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Prostatitis, or infection of the prostate, can interfere with fertility, according to Harvard Medical School. The infection can change the quality of ejaculate, which can make conception more difficult. For example, the ejaculate might not contain viable sperm. This occurs because urological infections, such as prostatitis, cause inflammation, which has the potential to decrease the quality of sperm, according to a 2012 article published in the "World Journal of Urology." Abnormal sperm aren't as likely to inseminate an egg, causing difficulty getting pregnant.
Medications for Prostate Problems
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Men who take medications to treat prostate problems can have a harder time impregnating their partner. For example, some medications that men take to treat an enlarged prostate can cause erectile dysfunction. Certain medications can make it more difficult for a man to ejaculate and others can decrease the amount of ejaculate, which means there is less sperm that can potentially fertilize an egg. Most of these effects will disappear if a man stops taking the medication, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
TURP and Semen
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Some men have a surgical procedure called transurethral resection of the prostate, or TURP, to treat an enlarged prostate. Between 50 and 75 percent of men who have had the surgery have retrograde ejaculation, which means that the semen they ejaculate actually goes into the bladder instead of coming out of the penis, according to the Healthline website. While the condition isn't dangerous to men, it can interfere with conception. The surgery can also make it more difficult for a man to have an erection.
What To Do
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If you and your partner are having trouble getting pregnant, make an appointment with your doctor or a fertility specialist. If your physician suspects that prostate problems are to blame, he'll run tests to determine the specific problem. Men with prostate problems can still father children and prostate function isn't always tied to fertility, according to the MedlinePlus website. In fact, a man can still father children even if his prostate has been removed.
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Abnormal morphology refers to the shape of the sperm being mutated to some degree, which can prevent the sperm from reaching the egg and achieving fertilization. It is sometimes a factor in male factor infertility. Normal Sperm A no
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Since your stay at the hospital will depend on the length of your partner’s labor, type of delivery and the health of mom and baby, you should come prepared with your own supplies. A small backpack or travel bag can be used to pack your soon-to
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When you werent planning on having a baby, it can be a shocker to see that line appear on a pregnancy test. But before you panic, remember that it takes two to tango and two to make decisions going forward. Talk to your spouse about your next steps.
