Low sperm count (oligospermia)

For a lay person:

A low sperm count means there are fewer sperm in a man's semen than normal, which can make it harder to conceive. It often causes no symptoms other than infertility and is usually found when a couple has tests after trying for a baby.

For a trained medical person:

Oligozoospermia has many causes, including varicocele, hormonal disorders such as hypogonadism or hyperprolactinaemia, genetic conditions, infection, heat, smoking, alcohol, anabolic steroids and some medicines, though many cases are idiopathic. Diagnosis is by at least two semen analyses with hormone testing and, where indicated, genetic testing and scrotal ultrasound. Management addresses reversible causes and lifestyle factors, with assisted reproduction such as IUI, IVF or ICSI where needed.

In Chinese medicine:

Liu and Tseng's textbook gives Chinese herbal formulas for this condition without a full pattern differentiation. Treatment still follows the pattern a patient presents with, not the Western diagnosis alone.

When to get help: See a doctor if you have not conceived after a year of trying, or sooner if you have a lump, pain or swelling in a testicle. Tell your fertility clinic about any herbal products you take, as some can affect sperm, hormones or treatment.