By Dr. Oliver Pack (Medical Doctor – Reg. No. 030308944).
Oligozoospermia, or oligospermia, is a condition that can make it more difficult—though not necessarily impossible—to achieve a natural pregnancy. This condition is present when the concentration of sperm in the semen is less than 15 million per milliliter, according to criteria established by the World Health Organization (WHO). This does not mean there is infertility, but rather that the levels fall below what is considered “normal.”
Early diagnosis not only allows potential treatments to begin more effectively but also provides access to current alternatives to achieve pregnancy.
There are several factors that can lead to male oligospermia, but one of the most frequent is varicocele, a dilation of the veins in the scrotum that can increase testicular temperature and affect sperm production. In some cases, it is also caused by hormonal imbalances, infections (such as chlamydia or gonorrhea that can damage the reproductive system), and even environmental factors, such as prolonged exposure to toxins, pesticides, radiation, or excessive heat.
Additionally, if fertility problems exist, it is important to examine the lifestyle of the affected individuals, as the use of alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, as well as poor diet or excessive stress, can have a negative influence.
Muestra de semen vista al microscopio
Typically, oligospermia does not present visible symptoms, so most men discover they have this condition when trying and failing to achieve pregnancy.
However, it should be kept in mind that if varicocele or hormonal imbalances are the cause, signs such as decreased sexual desire, pain or swelling in the testicles, or problems with erections and abnormal ejaculations may occur. Nonetheless, it is most important for a specialist to evaluate each case to determine whether oligospermia exists and begin treatment.
Oligozoospermia is diagnosed through a semen analysis (seminogram), which evaluates aspects such as volume, concentration, motility, and morphology of sperm cells.
In some cases, it may be necessary to conduct additional studies, such as hormone analyses, ultrasounds, or genetic testing.
Having a reduced number of sperm does not mean pregnancy is impossible, but it can make the process longer and more complicated. In fact, the fewer sperm in the semen, the lower the probability that one will reach and fertilize the egg.
In these situations, assisted reproduction plays a fundamental role, as it can not only select the best sperm from samples with low concentration, but also further facilitate the process by performing in vitro fertilization (IVF), that is, outside the body (in the laboratory).
Depending on the degree of oligospermia, the fertility specialist may recommend other techniques such as artificial insemination (in cases where sperm concentration is moderate and sperm have good motility) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), a specialized IVF technique in which a single sperm is injected directly into the egg. This is especially useful in cases of severe oligospermia or when the number of motile sperm is very low.
Thanks to advances in assisted reproduction, many men with oligospermia have been able to become fathers. Even in very severe oligospermia cases (called cryptozoospermia), it is possible to find viable sperm that can be used in ICSI.
In some exceptional cases, if no sperm are detected in the ejaculate (azoospermia), a testicular biopsy (TESA) may be performed to try to retrieve sperm directly from the testicle.
Privacy Policy
IVF-LIFE, hereby informs you of its privacy policy applied to personal data. The use of the website does not imply that the user must provide any information regarding their identity, and cannot be associated with a specific user by the company. In the event that personal data is provided, this data will be collected and used in accordance with the limitations and rights set out in the aforementioned regulation.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROCESSING OF YOUR DATA?
DATA CONTROLLER: IVF SPAIN ALICANTE S.L.U (hereinafter IVF-Life)
CIF: B-54973227
Postal Address: Avenida de Ansaldo, no. 13, 03540, Alicante (Alicante)
Contact with the Data Protection Officer: dpo@ivf-life-group.com
DATA CONTROLLER: Instituto Vasco de Fertilidad (hereinafter IVF-Life)
CIF: B95575874
Postal Address: Avenida de Tolosa, 71-73, 20018 Donostia / San Sebastián (Spain)
Contact with the Data Protection Officer: dpo@ivf-life-group.com
DATA CONTROLLER: IVF Spain Madrid (hereinafter IVF-Life)
CIF: B 85138113
Postal Address: C/ de Manuel de Falla, 6-8, 28036 Madrid (Spain)
Contact with the Data Protection Officer: dpo@ivf-life-group.com
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- Connection, geolocation and navigation data.
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The use of certain services or requests addressed to IVF-LIFE are subject to the prior completion of the corresponding form. All the information provided by the User through the forms on the Portal for the above purposes or any other must be truthful.
To this end, the User guarantees the authenticity of all the data provided and will keep the information provided to IVF-LIFE perfectly up to date so that it corresponds at all times to the User's real situation. In any case, the User will be solely responsible for any false or inaccurate statements made and for any damage caused to IVF-LIFE or third parties because of the information provided.
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For the processing of data, IVF-LIFE adopts the security levels required by current European and national legislation on the Protection of Personal Data. Notwithstanding the above, technical security in a medium such as the Internet is not impregnable and there may be leaks due to the malicious actions of third parties.
Our services are aimed at people of legal age, in the event that some of our services are specifically aimed at minors, IVF-LIFE will request the consent of parents or guardians for the collection of personal data or, where appropriate, for the automated processing of data as set out in current legislation. If the User is a minor, they are required to have the prior consent of their parents or guardians before proceeding to the inclusion of their personal data in the forms on the Website.
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We only process the personal data that is strictly necessary to manage or resolve your request or application.
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To the extent that you subscribe to our newsletter, your personal data will be used for the periodic sending of company newsletters.
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Usability and quality analysis to improve our services (cookies).
If you access our platform, we inform you that we will process your browsing data for analytical and statistical purposes, i.e. to understand how users interact with our platform and thus be able to make improvements to it. Likewise, we sometimes carry out quality actions and surveys aimed at finding out the degree of satisfaction of our customers and users and detecting those areas in which we can improve.
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The legal basis for the processing of your data is the informed consent to respond to queries raised through the website, forms and other means provided, which implies the prior reading and acceptance of these conditions by the interested party.
Marketing
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Social networking
The basis of legitimacy is the informed consent to respond to queries raised through the social network, as well as the time when you follow us and want to be part of our contact list.
Usability and quality analysis (cookies)
User consent to the use of cookies.
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Request for information. We will process your data for as long as it is necessary to deal with your request or request and thereafter 1 year.
Marketing
We will process your data until you unsubscribe or cancel your subscription to the newsletter.
Social media
We will process your data for as long as it is necessary to deal with your request and for as long as you are a follower of our profile.
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Personal data will not be transferred or communicated to third parties, except: legal obligation, we obtain your express consent, or we understand that there is a legitimate interest on our part, which will be duly communicated to you.
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You can access these social networks voluntarily and through the links available on the website itself or by accessing directly and on your own from your browser or installed app.
You should know that this website is not responsible for the use of the data that these social networks may make. However, when these data are generated in the social network and derive from an interaction with our website, we will not be held responsible for the use of such data.
In order to consent to our transfer from this website and the processing of your data, you should carefully read the privacy policy of the social network you wish to access:
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Spotify: Spotify Privacy Policy
In this way, before clicking on the logos of the SS. RR. present on our website, you can inform yourself and make a redirection with prior knowledge of the processing of your data and on a voluntary basis.
Other technological services:
- WhatsApp: WhatsApp Privacy Policy
- Companies of the "IVF LIFE Group" on the legal basis of consent or legitimate interest: Instituto Vasco de Fertilidad S.L.U., with NIF B95575874 and address at Avda Tolosa, 71-73 Donostia (Gipuzkoa), and IVF Spain Madrid S.L., with NIF B85138113 and address at Calle Manuel de Falla, 6-8, 28036 Madrid.
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We undertake to respect the confidentiality of your personal data and to guarantee you the exercise of your rights.
You may exercise them free of charge by sending us an e-mail to our address above, simply by providing proof of identity, the reason for your request and the right you wish to exercise.
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Ask us for access to the data we hold about you.
Ask us to rectify the data we already hold about you. Please note that by actively providing us with your personal information in any way, you warrant that it is true and accurate and you undertake to notify us of any changes or modifications to it.
Ask us to delete your data to the extent that they are no longer necessary for the purpose for which we need to process them as we have previously informed you, or to the extent that we no longer have the legitimacy to do so.
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To receive the personal data concerning you that you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable form and to transfer it to another data controller.
Moreover, where the processing of your data is based on our legitimate interest, you also have the right to object to the processing of your data.
Finally, we inform you of your right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection supervisory authority, with the Spanish Data Protection Agency.
CHANGES TO THE PRIVACY POLICY
We may change the information contained in this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we do so, we will notify you by various means through the Platform, or we will notify you at your email address when the change in question is significant to your privacy, so that you can review the changes, assess them and, where appropriate, object to or unsubscribe from any service or functionality.
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