Overview
Necrozoospermia is a condition where the sperm in a fresh sample is dead or necrotic. When there is 50 to 80% necrotic sperm, the condition is moderate Necrozoospermia. If more than 80% of the sperms are necrotic, the condition is severe Necrozoospermia. If fewer than 30% sperms in the sample are necrotic, then the sample is considered normal. Complete Necrozoospermia is comparatively rare, and 0.2 to .5% of infertile men may suffer from it.
Causes
The possible causes for Necrozoospermia are-
- Advanced age
- Exposure to abnormally high temperatures for prolonged time.
- Testicular cancer
- Anti-sperm antibodies
- Hormonal causes like hypogonadotropic hypogonadism
- Exposure to toxins
- Infections
- Long duration between ejaculations
- Problems of epididymis or testicles
- Drug use
- Spinal cord injury
- Varicocele
False diagnosis
Most times, Necrozoospermia can be due to a false diagnosis. It can occur if-
- The sample was collected by masturbation using a non-friendly lubricant. This is because regular lubricants can contain spermicides that kill the sperms.
- The sample was collected in a contaminated container and the contents of the container killed the sperm.
- The sample was collected using intercourse wearing a regular condom. Regular condoms can contain lubricants that kill sperms. If collecting sample by masturbation is difficult use special condoms provided by the doctor.
If the semen analysis shows Necrozoospermia, the fertility expert will ask you to get a second test done, keeping all the precautions in mind. You may be asked to provide two samples in the same day as the second sample may have fresher sperm.
Treatment
The treatment of Necrozoospermia is done depending on the cause. Medications are prescribed if the cause is infections, and treatment for drug addiction is done if that is the cause. Sperms can be extracted from the epididymis or the testes to perform ART treatment to produce a viable pregnancy.
