Male Health - Impotence, infertility and sterility are not the same!!!

Many times in my consultancy, the ladies mention about their male partners suffering from "sexual problem".

Since the "taboo" to talk about sex, women take some time to open up.

One of the commonest problems is the confusion between the terms “Impotence, sterility and infertility”.

Every common, non-medico seems to be jumping to label a sexual health problem with one of these 3 without actually knowing what they mean.

1. Sterility
Sterility means disability to bear a child, because there is no sperm production.
Hence the patient is unable to reproduce sexually.
In majority cases this is incurable.

2. Infertility
Infertility refers to inability to conceive after one year of trying.
Here the cause is abnormality in the reproductive system. Once that abnormality or disease is cured, the couple has a high chance of conceiving.

Infertility is curable.

3. Impotence
Impotence or Erectile dysfunction is inability to maintain a proper erection sufficient enough for a complete satisfying sexual intercourse.
Impotence is curable by visiting a sexologist or a psychiatrist.

- Dr.Mayuri Assudani
(Gynaecologsit and Infertility Consultant)