Tests to identify male-related factors causing infertility include semen analysis to determine the number and motility of sperm. A low or absent sperm count could be caused by trauma to the sperm-producing cells, as in excessively high temperature of the scrotal sac resulting from inflammation, or radioactive damage to the cells. Certain drugs can also adversely affect the sperm-producing cells. Chronic prostatitis, prostatectomy, and hormonal factors can decrease motility of the sperm. A stricture in the vas deferens blocks the transporting of sperm.
Strictures can result from infection, trauma, and congenital malformations.
Deposition of the sperm in the vaginal tract can be hindered by premature ejaculation, impotence, and congenital malformations of the penis. Both partners are usually given a general physical examination and a complete sexual history is taken. This condition can be due to malfunction of the glands that lubricate the vaginal wall. The difficulty can also be psychologic in origin, the result of sexual fears or inhibition. In addition to the sexual history, a medical history can raise a suspicion of an endocrine disorder, for example, hypothyroidism, or a genetic disorder, such as Turner's syndrome in women and Klinefelter's syndrome in men.