Aspermia is the complete lack of

semen Semen, also known as seminal fluid, is a bodily fluid that contains spermatozoon, spermatozoa which is secreted by the male gonads (sexual glands) and other sexual organs of male or hermaphrodite, hermaphroditic animals. In humans and placen ...

with

ejaculation Ejaculation is the discharge of semen (the ''ejaculate''; normally containing sperm) from the penis through the urethra. It is the final stage and natural objective of male sexual stimulation, and an essential component of natural conception. ...

(not to be confused with azoospermia, the lack of

sperm Sperm (: sperm or sperms) is the male reproductive Cell (biology), cell, or gamete, in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction (forms in which there is a larger, female reproductive cell and a smaller, male one). Animals produce motile sperm ...

cells in the semen). It is associated with

infertility In biology, infertility is the inability of a male and female organism to Sexual reproduction, reproduce. It is usually not the natural state of a healthy organism that has reached sexual maturity, so children who have not undergone puberty, whi ...

. One of the causes of aspermia is

retrograde ejaculation Retrograde ejaculation occurs when semen which would be ejaculated via the urethra is redirected to the urinary bladder. Normally, the sphincter of the bladder contracts before ejaculation, inhibiting urination and preventing a reflux of semen ...

, because of that the sperm is kept into the bladder and the final ejaculate is 0 mL. It can be brought on by excessive drug use, or as a result of

prostate The prostate is an male accessory gland, accessory gland of the male reproductive system and a muscle-driven mechanical switch between urination and ejaculation. It is found in all male mammals. It differs between species anatomically, chemica ...

surgery. It can also be caused by alpha blockers such as tamsulosin and silodosin. Another cause of aspermia is ejaculatory duct obstruction, which may result in a complete lack or a very low-concentration of

( oligospermia), in which the semen contains only the secretion of accessory

glands downstream to the orifice of the ejaculatory ducts. Aspermia can be caused by androgen deficiency. This can be the result of absence of puberty, in which the

prostate gland The prostate is an male accessory gland, accessory gland of the male reproductive system and a muscle-driven mechanical switch between urination and ejaculation. It is found in all male mammals. It differs between species anatomically, chemica ...

and

seminal vesicles The seminal vesicles (also called vesicular glands or seminal glands) are a pair of convoluted tubular accessory glands that lie behind the urinary bladder of male mammals. They secrete fluid that largely composes the semen. The vesicles are 5 ...

(which are the main sources of semen) remain small due to lack of androgen exposure and do not produce seminal fluid, or of treatment for

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...

, such as maximal androgen blockade. It is important not to confuse aspermia with azoospermia, which is a pathological condition in which ejaculation occurs but no sperm are found in the semen. In aspermia, spermatozoa are produced, but they cannot be ejaculated. The sperm remain in the urinary bladder, where they die due to the acidic environment of the urine. To prevent this death of the sperm, oral bicarbonate is administered for a while, which bases the urine, so that the sperm are no longer exposed to such a hostile environment and could be collected from the urine to be used in IVF.

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Testicular infertility factors {{symptom-stub

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