How is Male Infertility Treated?

Did you know that Hepatitis can cause male infertility? Hepatitis can affect the process of spermatogenesis, thereby significantly lowering the sperm count, free testosterone levels, motility, viability and morphology, according to an article published in India TV in July 2015. Infertility in men can be caused by any of four reasons: hormone disorder, gonad disorder, sperm transport issues and other unknown disorders. This problem may also occur when there are ejaculation related issues.

Male infertility can be diagnosed with the help of any of the four procedures: semen examination for quantity, quality, mobility; blood tests to check for infections hormone problems; culture fluid test from the penis for infection; and lastly physical examination of the gonad.

Causes of Sperm Related Infertility

Research shows that there has been a sharp decline in sperm count in Indian men from 60 million per ml to 20 million per ml during 1980 to 2010, says an article published in The Times of India in February 2013. Sperm related problems, such as low mobility, poor quality and low count, are some of the common reasons that couples fail to conceive. These problems may occur due to:

• Severe mumps infection post puberty
• Use of excessive alcohol, smoking or other drugs
• Exposure to radiation or poisonous chemicals
• Alterations in hypothalamus, pituitary and testicular hormones
• Tubular blockage
• Varicocele – swelling of the veins in the scrotum
• Retrograde Ejaculation or reverse ejaculation. The semen enters the bladder rather than coming out of the tip of the penis.
• Undescended Testicles – In such cases, the testes do not descend down to the scrotal sac during foetal development. This results in decreased fertility.
• Genetic Disorders – Chromosomal disorders may affect the production of sperms.
• Tumours – Both cancerous and non-cancerous tumours can affect the male reproductive systems directly.
• Certain medications can also affect sperm production.

Ways to Improve Sperm Health

• Several medications can help improve count and mobility
• Antibiotics can help treat infections
• Nutritional supplements containing Zinc and Vitamin C also help
• Hormone supplements can be taken in case of a hormonal imbalance
• Eliminate alcohol. It decreases the ability to produce testosterone
• Eliminating smoking and drug intake (like marijuana)
• Avoid hot baths and sauna
• Stay away from chemical exposure and synthetic products
• Wear loose boxers instead of tight underwear
• Eat foods such as kidney beans, yams, clams and oysters

If treatments do not help, you can go forward with clinical treatments that target the various cause of male infertility to help your partner conceive, such as Intrauterine Insemination, In-Vitro Fertilization and IVF with ICSI. 

How Much Does Umbilical Cord Banking Cost?

Have you noticed that having a child has made you a better person? Couples who have children turn into a family and laugh more. They are healthier, more active, more willing to give up negative habits, learn to be unselfish and enjoy greater self-esteem.

What Benefits Does Your Child Bring You?

Your child is your gift of life to this world and could soon be a source of pride for you. But having a child also comes with responsibility. As you rose up on your journey to parenthood and growing older you are bound to have made plans to safeguard your life from the risks you will meet in the future.

Are We Doing Enough to Protect Our Children?

As parents in India, we continue to invest in insurance plans for educating our children, for covering emergencies to secure their health and happiness. One such investment is ensuring that your child stays healthy, even through debilitating medical conditions that may or may not be inherited, such as thalassemia, anaemia or leukemia.

Thalassemia is a blood disorder where the body is unable to make normal levels of hemoglobin. This reduces oxygen supply to different organs in the body and the blood must continuously be transfused with hemoglobin rich blood through professional treatment and guarding against blunt injury.

Every year, between 7,000 and 10,000 children in India fall victim to this disease. Regular treatment for this disease can cost anywhere between Rs. 12,00,000/- to 15,00,000/-.

Stem Cell Therapy and Umbilical Cord Blood Banking Costs

Stem cell therapy promises to cure this disorder by using stem cells from a healthy relative. But in order to be successfully transplanted into your suffering child, his/her body has to be able to accept those cells. This may or may not work even if you are the closest relative.

Stem Cell Therapy Works

On the other hand, if you have invested in umbilical cord blood banking cost from the day your child was born, then that very blood can regenerate healthy blood cells in your child through stem cell therapy. This is a technique that has been consistently proven to work positively. The government continues to promote public cord blood banking. Although there are no charges involved, the uses that this cord blood will be put to means you will never benefit from it as it is unlikely to be available when you need it.

Benefits of Private Cord Blood Banking

But should you opt to bear private umbilical cord blood banking costs, then you are ensuring that this blood is reserved exclusively for the use of the donor and their family. Not just your child but any other relative stands to benefit more from stored cord blood as this is the richest source of totipotent stem cells that can repair any tissue or organ in your body.

At the moment, the most Basic Umbilical Cord Blood Banking costs include the following charges, as a sample: Rs 5,300/- for enrolment and documentation, a one-time fee of Rs. 50,000/- and thereafter a monthly instalment of Rs 4,250/-. For 10 years, this comes to a total of about Rs 5,59,550/-. Compare this to the costs involved in treating thalassemia.

Weigh Your Decision

No doubt there are costs involved in the investment against risk. But the greater the risk, say, your family history of disease, such as diabetes, heart ailments, leukemia, etc, the greater would be your need to worry about it.

There are several new medical conditions that modern lifestyles can wreak upon future generations that may require the promise of stem cell therapy. Considering all the investments we make for our children, to ensure a bright future for them, should you not use your part of your income to make such a crucial health investment?