Does Low Testosterone Cause Low Sperm Count

By now, most men understand that a deficiency in their male hormone production can lead to a number of other biological deficiencies that have an impact on their comprehensive health and physiological vitality. But does low testosterone cause low sperm count issues for men who are concerned about their fertility? The full answer to this often asked question needs to address some key points regarding the relationship between male hormone production and a man’s sperm count.

One of those points involves the use of TRT (testosterone replacement therapy), which can actually reduce a man’s sperm count while increasing his deficient male hormone supply. While the naturally produced testosterone that men have plays a vital role in supporting their ability to produce sperm, the introduction of bio-identical male hormone into a man’s system has the opposite effect. It sends a message to the hormones in his brain that signal his testes to produce the testosterone that produces sperm that they don’t have to do their job because his testosterone levels are fine.

So the answer to does low testosterone cause low sperm count is that it often does; and just as often, it contributes to this problem whenever there are other factors that are involved. But what can be done about it? Fertility doctors will often recommend the therapeutic use of gonadotropin, which is a hormone that stimulates the function of gonads. They will also recommend weight loss if they feel that a man’s condition of obesity is inhibiting his natural testosterone production along with other healthy improvements such as getting regular exercise and eating more nutritiously. The incorporation of these sensible health habits into a man’s daily routine has been shown to have a positive effect on male hormone production.

What Are the Typical Causes of Low Testosterone Levels in Men?

There is probably as much that medical researchers don’t understand about the causes of abnormally low testosterone production as the substantial amount of information that has been produced to date about the causes of this condition. Research into the complexities and function of human hormones is an ongoing scientific process; as soon as it produces an answer to a question such as does low testosterone cause low sperm count, there are hundreds of other questions that are still awaiting their answers.

Currently, this is what medical research has discovered about both the established and potential causes of male hormone deficiency:

• The development of a pituitary tumor can be a direct cause of Low T levels. While such tumors are seldom cancerous, they can cause vision problems, headaches and can interfere with your body’s ability to produce testosterone.
• A genetic condition called Klinefelter Syndrome occurs in males who were born with an extra sex hormone. Statistically it affects 1 in every 500 males who will typically develop symptoms associated with male hormone deficiency at the start of or at sometime during puberty.
• Another inherited medical condition known as hemochromatosis causes the body to the excessively absorb dietary iron. The iron can build up in the testicles (as well as in other organs) and damage them, leading to the development of Low T and its symptoms.
• Alcoholism is a known contributing factor to testosterone deficiency.
• The development of diabetes has also been shown to put men at a higher risk for developing male hormone deficiency.

It is often when searching for the answer to questions like does low testosterone cause low sperm count that researchers unexpectedly make important discoveries. It wasn’t until HIV/AIDS were identified by medical science that researchers learned of this condition’s negative effects on male hormone production, among many other things. And with the higher incidence of adult obesity in highly developed Western civilizations like the US, research has also been able to establish a strong link between chronic obesity and Low T.

The higher stress levels that adults are living with today have also been shown through clinical studies to contribute to testosterone deficiency. Adult-onset hormonal imbalances such as Low T have been steadily rising for the several decades during which their incidence among the general population has been tracked. Many possible causes for this trend are being studied, including the population’s increased environmental exposure to hormone-disrupting chemical and toxins in everyday life.

How Do Men Qualify for Using Testosterone Replacement Therapy?

The use of a TRT program is not recommended for men who want to preserve or improve their fertility with a robust sperm count. The doctors who prescribe hormone replacement therapy programs for adults know that a reduced sperm count is an associated effect for TRT users, so they would not prescribe its use for any man who plans to father children. And there are other factors that are considered by doctors when evaluating the appropriateness of Low T therapy for their adult male patients who are not necessarily as concerned with the answer to does low testosterone cause low sperm count. Men who have had prostate or breast cancer are not considered to be viable candidates for using TRT as it could increase their risk of recurrence.

Yet for men who are medically qualified to use testosterone replacement therapy, the health benefits are genuine and the treatment is considered to be low-risk. So how do TRT doctors qualify each patient? At Nexel Medical, our standard protocols include the performance of a serum testosterone levels blood test; a medical exam; a careful review of the patient’s medical history; and the evaluation of the patient’s current symptoms and condition of health. Our doctors typically do not prescribe Low T replacement therapy for males who are under the age of 30 since our focus is on patients who have developed the adult-onset version of Low T, which usually develops in men who are older than 30.

If a patient’s blood testing indicates that his male hormone levels are well within the healthy and normal range, treatment would rarely be indicated because there is no therapeutic value in excessively increasing a man’s testosterone supply. The results of Low T blood testing are largely used to determine (1) if a patient’s hormone levels are below normal and (2) the extent of their hormone deficiency. However, a patient’s symptoms are often the strongest indication of their condition of hormonal imbalance.

For qualified patients, our doctors prescribe individual TRT treatment programs that are based on each patient’s personal therapeutic requirements. However, we always encourage adults who are considering the use of Low T treatment to contact us with any questions they might have first. Our clinical advisors are always happy to explain things like does low testosterone cause low sperm count or anything else that men need to understand before undertaking the ongoing use of a medically prescribed TRT program.