Oligospermia or low sperm concentration in the ejaculate can be caused by several factors which are divided into pretesticular, testicular and posttesticular causes.
Mainly, the pretesticular causes that affect sperm production are poor lifestyle habits, alcohol and drug consumption.
Among the testicular causes are pathologies such as hydrocele, cryptorchidism or varicocele. In addition, some genetic alterations such as microdeletions of the Y chromosome can also cause a decrease in the quantity of spermatozoa expelled in the ejaculate.
Finally, post-sarticular causes of oligospermia refer to the difficulty in expelling spermatozoa with the semen, either due to obstruction of the vas deferens or infection in any area of the male genital anatomy.
