Introduction

Infertility or sub-fertility can be generally described as any form of reduced fertility with prolonged time. In 1993, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined the sub-fertility as “lack of conception after at least 12 months of unprotected intercourse”. Approximately, a substantial proportion of couples show sub-fertility in the world. According to American Fertility Association - AFA Report, 2006 , the number of couples affected by sub fertility is currently estimated as 15 % of all couples attempting to have children in the world.

Sub-fertility can be identified in both males and females. Further, research findings revealed that 40-60% of male sub-fertility is found in total sub–fertile population. Therefore reproductive failures due to sub fertility will be a growing problem in future. This study was designed to examine the possibility of overcoming sub-fertility in male factor by using Ayurvedic medicine.

Objectives

Objectives of the study can be set forth as follows.

i. To identify the possibility of increasing the sperm count with ayurvedic medicines.
ii. To identify various reacting patterns of the sperm count, against the herbal formulation.

Methodology designed to study and examine the possibility of overcoming sub-fertility in male factor by using Ayurvedic medicine

Since 2001, ayurvedic treatments have been given for just about two thousand number of sub fertile patients and achieved considerable success. It has noticed that the patients are positively reacting for the ayurvedic treatments and most of them could successfully increase their sperm counts.

Azoospermic Patients and Oligospermic Patients

Among the total of treated couples in 2006, fifty conceived couples (specially considering the male factor sub fertility) were randomly selected as a sample for the study. They had lower sperm counts at the beginning of treatments. A drug which can increase the sperm count has developed by using natural herbals. The sample was divided in to two categories, according to the level of sperm count they have. The males, those who have very low sperm counts ( lesser than 1 million/ml ) were categorized as “Azoospermic patients” and the others who have sperm counts above 1millon/ml were categorized as “Oligospermic and Other sub fertile patients”. The sample was treated with the drug, as shown in Table 1. The seminal fluid analysis reports were taken before the treatments and continued at monthly intervals to see the variation of the sperm counts.