What is azoospermia?
Azoospermia is a condition in which you have no sperm in your semen. This means that no viable sperm can reach and fertilize an egg. It causes male infertility. However, people with azoospermia can have biological children with the right treatment. Azoospermia care at Penn Medicine is among the best in the nation. At Penn Medicine Fertility and Reproductive Care, our fertility specialists offer advanced treatment options to help you grow your family.
Azoospermia causes
Several health conditions can contribute to a lack of sperm in your semen. These conditions cause two types of azoospermia:
Nonobstructive azoospermia
Nonobstructive azoospermia is the inability to produce sperm in your testicles. There are several reasons why you may not be able to make sperm, including:
- Chemotherapy and radiation therapy
- Conditions like varicoceles (abnormally large veins in the scrotum) that interfere with sperm production
- Genetic or chromosomal anomaly
- Hormonal imbalance, such as low testosterone
- Medications that can harm sperm production
Obstructive azoospermia
Obstructive azoospermia means your body produces sperm, but it’s blocked from mixing with your semen. An obstruction (blockage) in your testicle's duct system can prevent sperm from exiting your body during ejaculation. Blockages can occur in your epididymis or vas deferens, the tubes that carry sperm. Some people are born with obstructive azoospermia, while others develop it later in life.
Blockages may be caused by:
- Infections and inflammation, such as epididymitis
- Injury to the testicles or scrotum
- Previous surgery, including vasectomy
Diagnosing azoospermia
At Penn Medicine, you have access to in-house diagnostic tests and state-of-the-art fertility labs. We offer many male infertility tests in our clinic so you can get a quick and accurate diagnosis.
To diagnose azoospermia, we may recommend one or more tests, including:
Azoospermia treatment
Our fertility experts can treat many conditions that cause azoospermia. We provide hormonal, medical, and surgical treatments for azoospermia based on your condition. Our available treatments include some of the most advanced procedures in the world. After your procedure, you can save and freeze sperm (sperm banking) to use in future fertility treatments.
Sometimes, azoospermia can be treated with medications to correct a hormonal imbalance. Other treatment options include: