What Kind Of A Doctor Do You See For Male Infertility?

Infertility refers to a condition wherein a couple fails to conceive a pregnancy even after having an uninterrupted sexual intercourse for one whole year. Out of all the couples who present in the clinics for infertility, about 50% suffer from male infertility, meaning that the problem with conception or fertility is associated with the male.

The kind of a doctor that people usually consult for infertility is called a reproductive endocrinologist (RE). For male infertility, one generally needs to consult a urologist, who has a specialized qualification, training and an experience in this field. A urologist who looks into the matters of infertility is also known as an andrologist.

A couple is said to be infertile if in spite of having an unprotected sexual intercourse for one year (for a woman aged below 35) and six months (for a woman aged above 35), the couple fails to conceive a pregnancy. When this occurs, the first step that generally a couple takes is to visit the woman’s gynecologist. The gynecologist will first carry out a primary evaluation of the case and note down all the details and history of the woman. The gynecologist will then send the couple to a fertility specialist for further evaluation and study of the case. This fertility specialist will generally be a reproductive endocrinologist. Infertility is a complex condition and involves treating different types of conditions. Expert analysis and an efficient treatment are required to treat this condition effectively.

Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE) Specialists

Reproductive endocrinologists are a specially trained and experienced group of gynecologists that specialize in the field of infertility in both men and women. They have a deep knowledge of various problems like endometriosis. Reproductive endocrinologists are the primary specialists in the fertility treatment and these experts are responsible for carrying out various fertility procedures like intrauterine insemination or in vitro fertilization. RE specialists are generally responsible for carrying out various tests and procedures related to the fertility treatment. If needed, they may contact other specialists like oncologists, embryologists etc., for further evaluation in this process. Res usually treat both men and women for fertility related issues. However, majorly they take up on female infertility cases. For male infertility cases, they may further refer a person to a trained urologist, also known as am andrologist for a specialized treatment.

Andrologists

These are actually the male infertility specialists. These specialists usually start as urologists and then train on for years to become andrologists or male infertility specialists.
An RE is likely to carry out all the initial tests on infertility, like a physical examination, DNA testing, semen analysis and sperm testing.
An andrologist however, is more likely to look into the details of these tests and other aspects of male infertility.
Andrologists can team up with the REs to work together to find an efficient treatment on the male infertility and solve problems like erectile dysfunction etc.
They can also go on further to carry out advanced and complex procedures like testicular sperm extraction.

There are many other specialists, whose help might be needed and sought to treat different fertility issues, as treatment of fertility is quite a complex process and may involve one or more specialist. Other such specialists are-

Reproductive Surgeons- these specialists may be summoned if there is a need of a highly specialized surgery in order to correct infertility, like removal of fibroids etc.

Embryologists- these may help in assisted reproduction processes like In vitro fertilization (IVF) etc.

Reproductive Immunologists- these may take care of the cases where a person is suffering from an auto-immune disorder like lupus

Treatment of male infertility is a complex process and help of different specialists might be needed to treat the same. However primarily, an andrologist, who is a specialized urologist takes care of male infertility treatment.

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What Kind Of A Doctor Do You See For Male Infertility?