If one’s baby boy is born with an undescended testicle, it is something to be concerned about. Man without testicles is a health issue to worry about. Normally, testicles move from the lower belly into one’s scrotum, the pouch of skin below the penis, in the last few months before birth. But sometimes, one or both do not fall really into place. This is referred to as an undescended testicle, and it can affect fertility later in life.
In most cases, the testicle does drop on its own by about 6 months after birth. If it does not, the doctor will likely suggest surgery. When it comes to fertility, it is better to go in for early treatment.
Why Does This Condition Affect Fertility?
To make healthy sperm, testicles do need to stay a few degrees cooler than the rest of one’s body. That is why they normally rest in the scrotum, which hangs just far enough down that it is not quite as warm.
An undescended testicle does stay up in one’s body, so it has a higher temperature, which causes a lower sperm count and quality, decreasing a man’s chances of being able to fertilize a woman’s egg and also fathering a child.
Why Do Surgery At Such a Young Age?
In the past, doctors would suggest surgery at the time of puberty. Nowadays, they recommend it at 6 to 12 months, or even 18 months at the latest.
This indeed is much of a big shift. Why the change? The answer is briefly: A lot of research.
Doctors now do know that important changes in the testicles do occur very early in life. By the time a boy is just 1 year old, an undescended testicle can start to lose the cells that make sperm. And the longer the testicle stays lodged, the higher the odds that the problem could indeed get worse.
How Much Does It Affect Fertility?
Men with one undescended testicle can, of course, still have children, but their fertility is lower than normal by roughly half. If they do have surgery to correct it, especially when younger, their fertility is really about the same as if they never had a problem.
Without treatment, men with two undescended testicles will not likely be able to have children. But surgery to move both testicles down can indeed improve their fertility.
It will not be the same as normal, but an earlier surgery can have a big effect.
Can Surgery Help a Grown Man?
If a grown man has an undescended testicle, surgery to correct it is not likely to change one’s fertility level. But talking to the doctor about testicular cancer as an undescended testicle does make the affected person a little more likely to get it.
And since the undescended testicle is not in the scrotum, it is not possible to do self-exams, which are the main key to finding cancerous lumps early.
The loss of testicles can indeed have significant impacts on hormones and fertility. Testes produce male hormones that are essential in causing erections and also maintaining male stature. Without tests, men will be unable to have children.
Undescended testes or cryptorchidism happens to be a disorder in men and is also associated with hypogonadism and infertility. UDT is a majority health issue in male adults.
Losing a testicle may not have physical and emotional impacts, but it can also in fact affect hormone levels, specifically testosterone. Testosterone, a hormone that is vital for sexual development and fertility in males, is primarily produced in the male testicles.
Conclusion
The loss of one testicle can disrupt the delicate balance of hormones in the body. Man without testicles is a serious health issue.
