Low sperm counts means the ejaculated semen has lesser quanitity of sperms than normal. This is also called oligospermia .We label it as oligospermia when the count is less than 15 million per millilitre of semen.

Having a low sperm counts decreases the chances of natural conception for a couple,though in some cases even after low sperm count many men are still able to father a child.

Usually when a couple meets their doctor with problems of infertility and the husband undergoes semen examination then this problem gets detected.In some men if there is some inherited chromsomal problems or hormonal disorder or uncontrolled diabetes or dilated testicular veins a suspicion of oligospermia can be there.

When to consult a doctor

1. inability to conceive after one year of marriage.

2.erection or ejaculation problem.

3.pain ,discomfort or swelling in testicular area.

4.history of groin,testicular or scrotal surgery.

Causes of low sperm count/oligospermia

A.Medical Causes:(i)Varicocoele

(ii)Infection like gonorrhoea or tuberculosis or mumps

(iii) Ejaculation problem due to spinal surgery or trauma or diabetes or scrotal surgery.

(iv)Hormonal imbalance like hypothyroidism.

(v)Undescended testis or tumour and malignancies.

(vi) Congenital absence of vas deferens.

Other than these coeliac disease,prolonged drug intake like anabolic steroids ec,hernia repair can cause oligospermia.

B.Enviornmental Causes:

(i)Industrial Chemicals

(ii)Heavy metal exposure

(iii) Radiation or X ray exposure

(iv)Overheatiing of testicles

C.Lifestyle Causes:

Drug abuse,alcohol and tobacco intake,depression and obesity are also the causative factor for oligospermia.

Treatment of low sperm count

Treating the underlying cause often corrects oligospermia and improves the sperm count.Healthy lifestyle,refraining from tobacco and alcohol and maintaining a correct BMI very often improves sperm count.

If there is no improvement and one wishes for parenthood ,the male partner should without hesitation consult an IVF specialist for the same.

ICSI(Intracytoplasmic sperm injection) is a specialized ART technique in which the best motile sperm is selected and injected inside the egg by an expert embryologist.

This procedure of ICSI makes sure that however low be the sperm count still those sperms can be used to fertilize wife's eggs and have their own biological child.

Many a times male partner resort to ayurvedic and homeopathic treatments which researches say have no proven benefit in improving sperm count ,in fact many a times they are detrimental.

Low sperm count leads to infertility which in turn leads to depression and discontentment in life.Timely and prompt treatment is the key to resolve social and psychological issues arising from low sperm count.

Fatherhood is very much possible with males suffering from low sperm count.What requires is to shed inhibition and approach an established IVF centre with advanced ICSI facilities to have their own biological child.