If a man wants to have a baby, he must have "reserve"

Men, do you know your "testicular reserve function"? If the "testicular reserve function" is not up to standard, you will never be able to have children in this lifetime. Although the two-child policy is very open now, if a man cannot even afford the reserve, then it will be difficult to have even the first child, let alone the second one.

Poor testicular reserve leads to low fertility

"I'm 'very good' in that aspect, how can it be my problem that I can't have children?!" Many men find it difficult to accept the fact that they are the reason why they have not been able to have children after many years of marriage. Professor Zhou Shaohu introduced in an interview that a WHO multi-center research report showed that among infertile couples, 20% of infertility factors were entirely attributed to the man, 27% were related to both the couple, and 15% were of unknown causes. Therefore, it can be considered that male factors cause no less than 50% of infertility. Moreover, male sexual ability is not the same as fertility. A man with strong sexual function may be completely infertile. "For a man who is planning to get married or has infertility problems, if he wants to understand his fertility, he may as well go to the hospital and ask a doctor to evaluate his testicular reserve function."

The new concept divides men's testicular reserve function into five levels from 0 to 4. Men with a testicular reserve function score of level 4 can produce sperm in a normal quantity and quality. These men do not need any auxiliary measures and can conceive naturally. If a man's testicular reserve function score is level 3, it means that he may need treatment with both Chinese and Western medicine before he can complete his fertility plan. If a man scores level 2, he may need artificial insemination or drug-assisted treatment to complete his fertility mission. If a man is scored as level 1, he will need to use in vitro fertilization technology to complete his fertility plan.

Testicular reserve is related to sexual function

For men around 40 to 50 years old, even if they have completed their reproductive tasks, it is necessary to understand their testicular reserve function, which can help them know whether their physical and emotional problems are related to "menopause".

Professor Zhou Shaohu introduced that menopause is not exclusive to women, but also occurs in men. Men's androgen secretion will decline after the age of 50, but in recent years, due to unhealthy lifestyles and increasing environmental pollution, this time has tended to be advanced. When androgens decline, a series of organ and system dysfunctions will occur, which will in turn affect men's physical, mental, and sexual functions, and ultimately damage their quality of life. This is called "male menopause" and its scientific name is "delayed hypogonadism." The symptoms of male menopause are numerous, complex, and lack specificity. For example, some people may feel tired, lack concentration, have memory loss, less sleep, lose interest in things around them, and have reduced work ability. Some patients experience dizziness, palpitations, cold limbs, and pain in unidentified locations, but no abnormalities are found during physical examinations. Depression, anxiety, irritability, and neuroticism are also common and often affect the patient's relationship with family or colleagues. Most patients who visit the urology or andrology department experience decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, and feel frustrated and distressed because they are willing but unable to do what they want. In fact, it is changes in sexual function that cause some patients to begin to pay attention to their other symptoms.

The testicular reserve function assessment can reflect the secretion of androgen. If your androgen is lower than normal and you have some of the symptoms mentioned above, you can be diagnosed with "male menopause". If these symptoms have caused trouble to your life and work, your doctor will recommend testosterone supplementation therapy.

Static and dynamic multi-angle assessment of testicular reserve

So how do we assess testicular reserve capacity? Zhou Shaohu introduced that the evaluation of testicular reserve function should be carried out comprehensively from multiple angles and using multiple methods. Including general conditions, static detection and dynamic detection, drug induction, etc. General conditions include age, testicle size, abdominal circumference, blood lipids, blood sugar, blood pressure and other factors. Generally, men between 30 and 34 years old have the highest sperm density, and when they are over 40 years old, sperm density is negatively correlated with increasing age. Doctors will recommend color B-ultrasound examination of the testicles. In addition to directly understanding the volume of the testicles, it can also understand the blood supply and texture of the testicles. Those with sparse texture have poor spermatogenesis, while those with dense texture have good spermatogenesis.

Static testing includes routine semen analysis, endocrine testing, etc. Dynamic testing refers to taking semen for testing multiple times in a row to understand the dynamic changes in semen indicators; the ratio of sex hormone testing is used to calculate the testosterone secretion index; drug induction refers to the use of induction methods, such as the combined use of HCG+HMG for stimulation tests, and the reaction after medication will reflect the reserve function of the testicles; due to the possible damage to the testicles, testicular biopsy will only be considered when necessary.

Zhou Shaohu finally concluded that further clarifying the reserve function of the testicle will help improve the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility, and will also help with the prevention and management of male reproductive health in daily life.

Health Dictionary

Testicular reserve function (i.e. testicular reserve)

It refers to the quantity and quality of sperm that the testicles can produce sustainably, as well as the potential to secrete androgens, which more comprehensively reflects the function of the testicles. Doctors can also give advice on pregnancy planning or corresponding treatment based on the level of testicular reserve function of men.