Male infertility, like female, is not a disease, but a symptom of various diseases. Distinguish between secretory and excretory male infertility. Secretory infertility is due to a violation of spermatogenesis, excretory - a violation of sperm excretion. The frequency of male infertility is 40-50%, and in combination with infertility in women - 15-20% (J. Bankroft, 1985).

An important factor necessary for fertilization is the ability of spermatozoa to move forward, store energy and penetrate the egg coat of the egg. In clinical practice, a man's examination begins with a study of sperm. If the pathology is not revealed, then at this stage of the other studies the men do not.

Characteristics of sperm.

When assessing a sperm sample, it is necessary to characterize the presence and quality of spermatozoa, the mobility and features of their morphological structure, and also the features of the seminal fluid. The volume of ejaculate in men, capable of fertilization, ranges from 2 to 5 ml. A small amount of ejaculate may indicate a deficiency of androgens, a large volume may indicate a violation of the function of additional glands. The total number of spermatozoa in the ejaculate is at least 50 million. It is important to determine the mobility and cytomorphological characteristics of spermatozoa. Mobility of spermatozoa is one of the most important qualitative indicators of sperm. Good mobility of spermatozoa can compensate for a small number of them. Sperm, in which 50% of spermatozoa have a good ability to move, is considered normal. A sperm sample in which less than 40% of spermatozoa has a good ability to move is considered pathological. Normally, the movement of spermatozoa is rectilinear, in one direction. If the seed threads have oscillatory or circular motions in one place (pendulum or manege), then such spermatozoa are considered to be inactive.

Morphologically spermatozoon can be represented as a structure having a head, body and tail connected by a neck. The tail is divided into three sections: median, main and terminal.

The major part of the sperm head is occupied by a core covered with an acrosome consisting of internal and external membranes and contents rich in carbohydrases and hydroxylases.

The energy charge of the sperm as it approaches the egg is realized in the form of an acrosomal reaction, in which the outer membrane breaks and the contents of the acrosome pour out.

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