Varicocele Specialists.com - How common are varicocels?

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How common are varicoceles?

15% of all men have varicoceles. (This was measured by examining military recruits, who represented a good cross section of men mostly before they had tried to father children.) However, 40% of men who are experiencing "primary infertility" (have never fathered a biological child) have varicoceles.

80% of men with secondary fertility (they have fathered at least one biological child, but are not currently able to do so) have varicoceles. This may be due to the fact that varicoceles cause progressive damage to the testicle and a progressive decrease in the quality and quantity of sperm produced.

Of those men who have varicoceles, 45% of them have varicoceles on both sides. 50% have a left sides varicocele; 5% have a varicocele on the right side alone.