Treatment

Treatments for low sperm count include:

• Surgery. For example, a varicocele can often be surgically corrected or an obstructed vas deferens can be repaired. Prior vasectomies can be reversed. In cases where no sperm are present in the ejaculate, sperm can often be retrieved directly from the testicles or epididymis using sperm retrieval techniques.
• Treating infections. Antibiotics can cure an infection of the reproductive tract, but this doesn't always restore fertility.
• Treatments for sexual intercourse problems. Medication or counseling can help improve fertility in conditions such as erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation.
• Hormone treatments and medications. Your doctor might recommend hormone replacement or medications in cases where infertility is caused by high or low levels of certain hormones or problems with the way the body uses hormones.
• Assisted reproductive technology (ART). ART treatments involve obtaining sperm through normal ejaculation, surgical extraction or from donor individuals, depending on your specific situation and wishes. The sperm are then inserted into the female genital tract, or used for IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

When treatment doesn't work

In rare cases, male fertility problems can't be treated, and it's impossible for a man to father a child. If this is the case, you and your partner can consider either using sperm from a donor or adopting a child.