Aspermia
Aspermia is the complete lack of semen with ejaculation (not to be confused with azoospermia, the lack of sperm cells in the semen). It is associated with infertility.
One of the causes of aspermia is retrograde ejaculation, which can be brought on by excessive drug use, or as a result of prostate surgery. It can also be caused by alpha blockers such as tamsulosin and silodosin.
| -spermia, Further information: Testicular infertility factors |
| Aspermia —lack of semen; anejaculation |
| Asthenozoospermia —sperm motility below lower reference limit |
| Azoospermia —absence of sperm in the ejaculate |
| Hyperspermia —semen volume above higher reference limit |
| Hypospermia —semen volume below lower reference limit |
| Oligozoospermia —total sperm count below lower reference limit |
| Necrozoospermia—absence of living sperm in the ejaculate |
| Teratozoospermia —percent normal forms below lower reference limit |
Another cause of aspermia is ejaculatory duct obstruction, which may result in a complete lack of or a very low-concentration semen (oligospermia), in which the semen contains only the secretion of accessory prostate 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 and seminal vesicles (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, such as maximal androgen blockade.
See also
- Retrograde ejaculation
- Ejaculatory duct obstruction