With men, the phrases “sterility, infertility, and erectile disorder” tend to be confused and incorrectly interchanged with each other. However, the truth is that these mean three different conditions. In fact, it is essential that every adult man who is interested in his sexual and general health understands and is aware of the fundamental distinction between these three conditions.

Sterility

Sterility is often used in the same way as infertility, although both terms indicate the inability to have a child, there is a simple difference. Sterility indicates that it is not possible for a man and a woman to produce a baby. A medical diagnosis of sterility can be provided after a comprehensive examination and should test whether or not there is sperm generation within the testicles. Sterility commonly means that the individual is unable to reproduce sexually due to problems in the reproductive system. This condition is fairly limited to the reproductive system and could have a number of causes, as a result of injury or abnormal blood flow to the testicles.

Sterility

Infertility means the inability to conceive or not being able to get pregnant. Also, it means that a man and a woman are not sterile but for some reason the woman cannot get pregnant. This problem can occur due to particular issues that may not be associated with the reproductive system at all. Sometimes the inability to conceive occurs as a result of psychological or emotional stress or the side effects of certain pharmaceuticals.

Three things must happen for pregnancy to be feasible in general: the male sperm count must be adequate, the woman’s fallopian tubes must be fully open, and lastly, ovulation must occur without hindrance. If one of these things is not true, the happy couple is definitely experiencing true infertility. If all conditions have been met but conception has not yet occurred, then the condition is called subfertility.

Male infertility is not an unusual problem. Female problems are the cause of about a third of infertility problems. Another third of the difficulties are man-made. Others come from a combination of feminine and masculine difficulties issues.

Male infertility is commonly caused by:

• Varicocele: A condition in which the veins in the testicles become enlarged. This problem usually causes the genital region to heat up abnormally, which has an adverse effect on sperm production.
• Obstruction: Damage to any part of the male reproductive system can prevent sperm from going where they are supposed to go.
• Effects of disease: Diseases such as cystic fibrosis often cause male infertility.

Below are some other things that commonly lead to low sperm count:

• alcoholism
• drug use
• Smoking cigarettes
• old age
• Pesticides and other types of environmental toxins
• Various health conditions, including hormonal imbalances and kidney disease.
• Certain types of pharmaceuticals
• Side effects of cancer treatments

Impotence

Impotence or erectile dysfunction (ED) is the chronic failure to obtain or maintain an erection adequate for sexual performance. It is quite widespread, affecting as many as one in 10 men. Consequently, there are actually around 2.3 million men in the UK alone who are struggling with impotence issues. Unfortunately, about 10% of affected people receive treatment. Unfortunately, the chances of experiencing impotence increase with age.

Many men have an intermittent inability to get or keep an erection. It is usually the result of stress, fatigue, nervousness, depressive disorders, or increased alcohol consumption. Physical causes of impotence can include:

• abnormal blood pressure
• elevated cholesterol levels
• Diabetes
• pharmaceutical side effects
• drug and alcohol abuse
• frequent smoking

treat the problem

Erections are produced by blood flow to key parts of the penis. When enough blood has entered certain tissues inside the penis, it will harden. That is why various treatments for impotence try to increase blood circulation in the body and more specifically in the penis.

There are many different medications on the market designed to treat erectile dysfunction. Prescription drugs, such as Levitra and Viagra, are taken orally just before intercourse and usually last up to 36 hours. However, these medications do not cure the condition and are a temporary solution. Like so many medications, there can be side effects, so it is not recommended to use these medications without your doctor’s approval.

Another approach is the use of injection therapy in which an injection is made into the male organ resulting in an erection. With this particular technique, a syringe is used to inject a substance into the lower part of the penis that will result in increased blood flow and ultimately an erection. Again, injection therapy has particular negative effects and pain, allergic reaction and irritation can occur.

Surgery is another option, but the cost and risk should not be taken lightly. Vascular medical procedures and penile implants have been performed on a variety of people affected by erectile dysfunction. The vascular surgical procedure basically removes any blockages in blood flow in the male organ and allows normal erections to take place again. Penile implants, however, involve the placement of an inflatable unit or support to produce an erection. This type of treatment is considered very extreme and is certainly not for everyone.

Lastly, there are vacuum constriction devices available that have been shown to work. Many men with erectile dysfunction find that the use of a vacuum pump device can be of great help in obtaining and maintaining an erection. The vacuum constriction device or penis pump consists of a plastic tube that is placed over the penis. Negative pressure is then produced around the organ using a pump that forces blood to flow into the tissues of the penis, resulting in an erection. Once erect, a constriction ring or band is placed around the base of the penis to maintain the erection by preventing blood from leaking out.

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of infertility, sterility, and impotence, their causes, and possible treatments.