Is Male Infertility Hereditary?

First, It’s important to remember that there is no infertility gene, and it cannot explicitly be said that every parent who is infertile passes the condition through their DNA. There can be a hereditary component to male infertility in some cases. A small percentage of men have a Y chromosomal abnormality that lead to their fertility problems. Regardless, it is premature to assume that you are afflicted with a family history of mobility infertility problems.

Young men whose parents had difficulty conceiving are likely to have relatively poor sperm quality, a new study shows — offering evidence that fertility problems are at least partly inherited in some cases.

The study, of 311 Danish men ages 18 to 21, found that those whose parents took longer than one year to conceive tended to have a lower sperm count and fewer normal-looking sperm. The researchers found that men with subfertile parents had a 22 percent lower sperm concentration and a smaller percentage of structurally normal sperm than men born to parents of normal fertility.

Another reason behind a genetic cause of male infertility is Klinefelter’s syndrome; a condition whereby men have an extra X chromosome that is passed from their father. It is one of the most common chromosomal disorder for men all over the world, and affects approximately one in 650 men.

Men who suffer with Klinefelter’s syndrome are more likely to struggle to conceive. If you suspect you have infertility due to male factor it is advisable to schedule a consultation to understand more about testing and parameters suggested for IUI or IVF.