[Endocrine fertility disorders in the male]

Abstract

Every seventh couple in the general population is confronted in their marriage in one way or another by the phenomenon of an unfulfilled desire to have children and hence of a trouble of fertility. In half of these couples there is a fertility problem of the female, in 30% of the male and in 20% of both partners. Therefore, the husband contributes in half of the cases to infertility. The great majority of male troubles of fertility is either idiopathic, i.e. without underlying organic causes, or there is a varicocele. Endocrine causes of infertility are rare in the male subject, the frequency being below 3%.