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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffA number of risk factors are linked to low sperm count and other problems that can cause low sperm count. They include:
- Being age 35 or older
- Smoking tobacco
- Abusing alcohol
- Using certain illegal drugs
- Being overweight
- Being underweight
- Having certain past or present infections
- Being exposed to toxins
- Overheating the testicles
- Having a prior vasectomy or vasectomy reversal
- Being born with a fertility disorder or having a blood relative with a fertility disorder
- Having certain medical conditions, including tumors and chronic illnesses
- Undergoing medical treatments, such as surgery or radiation for cancer
- Taking certain medications
- Bicycling for long periods, especially on a hard seat or poorly adjusted bicycle
References
- Guzick DS. Evaluation of the infertile couple. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 7, 2010.
- Sigman M, et al. Male infertility. In: Wein AJ, et al. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/198188923-5/0/1445/22.html. Accessed May 7, 2010.
- Swerdloff RF, et al. Evaluation of male infertility. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 7, 2010.
- Bulun SE, et al. Infertility and subfertility in men. In: Kronenberg HM, et al. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/199429868-3/0/1555/120.html?tocnode=54107480&fromURL=120.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2911-3..50020-0--cesec90_1743. Accessed May 7, 2010.
- Swerdloff RF, et al. Causes of male infertility. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 7, 2010.
- Leibovitch I, et al. The vicious cycling: Bicycling related urogenital disorders. European Urology. 2005;47:277.
- Wang C, et al. Treatment of male infertility. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 7, 2010. Accessed May 10, 2010.
- Eskenazi B, et al. Antioxidant intake is associated with semen quality in healthy men. Human Reproduction. 2005;20:1006.
- Jurewicz J, et al. Environmental factors and semen quality. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health. 2009;22:305.
- Agarwal A, et al. Prevention of oxidative stress injury to sperm. Journal of Andrology. 26;6:2005.
- Agarwal A, et al. Carnitines and male infertility. Reproductive BioMedicine Online. 2004;8:376. http://www.rbmonline.com/4DCGI/Article/Detail?38%091%09=%201200%09. Accessed May 7, 2010.
- Burns LH. Psychiatric aspects of infertility and infertility treatments. Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2007;30:689.
- Hornstein MD, et al. Optimizing natural fertility in couples planning pregnancy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 7, 2010.
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