Assisted Reproductive Technologies

Dear Colleagues,

Infertility is defined as the inability of a couple to achieve conception after 12 months of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse and is a common clinical condition which affects millions of couples. Infertility is a global health issue which affects approximately 9-14% of couples of reproductive age. Although male infertility is often underdiagnosed, it accounts for nearly 50% of all cases of infertility. It is estimated that about 7% of all men of reproductive age may need medical attention for difficulty in achieving a pregnancy.

Common predisposing factors to male infertility include obesity, exposure to radiation, alcohol consumption, antidepressants, diet (such as processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages), cigarette smoking, psychological stress and sleep disturbance. In the majority of cases of men with infertility, there are no identifiable causes. However, where underlying causes are present, they are in most cases often due to problems with sperm production or sperm delivery.

The goal of managing couples with male factor infertility is to identify any modifiable risk factors and underlying medical pathology to inform the choice of appropriate intervention. This is achieved through a comprehensive evaluation of the male partner, including medical history, physical examination, semen analysis, hormonal evaluation, genetic testing, imaging and specialized testing such as sperm DNA fragmentation assays and proteomics.

Treatment options for male factor infertility include lifestyle modification, medical treatments, surgical interventions, and assisted reproductive technology. The choice of treatment will depend on the underlying cause, and in some cases, more than one treatment option may be indicated.

In this special issue, we welcome articles focusing on current trends in the management of male infertility. We also invite articles which discuss recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility and future directions in the management of the condition.

Our best regards,
Dr. Reuben Olugbenga Ayeleke
Guest Editor

Manuscripts should be submitted via our online editorial system at https://imr.propub.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to start your submission. Manuscripts can be submitted now or up until the deadline. All papers will go through peer-review process. Accepted papers will be published in the journal (as soon as accepted) and meanwhile listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, reviews as well as short communications are preferred. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office to announce on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts will be thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. Please visit the Instruction for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) in this open access journal is 1500 USD. Submitted manuscripts should be well formatted in good English.