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
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 ...
(
oligospermia), in which the semen contains only the secretion of accessory
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 ...
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.
See also
*
Ejaculatory duct obstruction
*
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 ...
References
External links
Testicular infertility factors
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