We spoke some of the leading experts on this issue. According to them, there are broadly 15 causes of infertility in males.

Causes Of Infertility In Men

1. Impotence: The male organ loses its erection before the climax. In worse cases, the male organ doesn’t erect at all. Medicines like sildenafil citrate relax the blood vessels and give repeated erections to the male member. However, they pose a risk of a heart attack so one has to be careful while having them. Drugs such as marijuana, opium, and nicotine cause impotence. Smoking cigarettes can lead to zero sperm count condition which is irreversible male infertility.
2. Inflammation of blood vessels of the testis: This may be due to infection or due to problems in the tissue surrounding the testis. This makes it difficult for the seminal fluid with the sperms to reach the urethra. This condition is known as ‘Varicocele’. The blood vessels prevent sperm formation and also make sex painful.
3. Discharge incapacity: Either the sperm is not produced, or not discharged out of the urethra. It may be that the male has a good sperm count but the fluid instead of coming out goes inside the body in the opposite direction. This is retrograde ejaculation. Any spinal injuries or bladder operations can cause this to happen as a consequence. This is a treatable condition. For treatment, male fluid collected from the testes directly and injected into the female’s vagina.
4. Erectile dysfunction: In this condition, a male is not able to hold his penile erection for long at times. There may be PE or no discharge at all and simply the male fluid oozes out and drips off. The seminal fluid must go deep in the vagina as the fertilization takes place in the fallopian tube. This causes infertility in men.
5. Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Infections like sexually transmitted diseases STDs can make a man infertile. The pathogens or the symptoms might block the vas deferens (sperm canal) or degenerate the phallus as in genital herpes. The rashes make sex painful.
6. Physiological causes of infertility in men: The temperature of scrotal sacs has to be around 2° C lower than the body temperature. This is because sperms need a lower temperature during storage. If the scrotal sacs are too close to the body, then the temperature might not be suitable, and hence the sperms will become dysfunctional.
7. Hormonal misbalance: Hormones are ultimately responsible for the entire functioning of the body. Sex hormones or reproductive hormones are steroidal (have cholesterol in their ring) or peptide (made of proteins) in nature. Even a nanogram change can lead to devastating effects on a gamete cell. Androgen is the main male hormone that is responsible for libido and other sexual activities. If problems in testicular cells affect sperm production, then infertility in men occurs.
8. Autoimmune disorders: Antibodies can develop against one’s own sperms. Autoimmune means that the body gets defensive against its own self. Due to carcinogenic (cancer-causing) agents body becomes defensive against its own sperm cells. The immune system will destroy sperms and male infertility will be the consequence.
9. Psychological causes of infertility in men: Homosexuals, asexual, and other psychologically disturbed men might abhor normal sex. In such a case he will not be able to penetrate into his partner’s vagina. The brain will trigger disgust and eventually, he will stop. Such men fall into the category of infertile men.
10. There is a huge impact of the psychological interpretation of sex that affects a man’s ability to procreate. A lot of childhood activities such as treating a boy as a girl or child sexual abuse have detrimental effects. It can even lead to infertility in men.
11. Prescriptions that cause infertility in men: Hormonal therapies, chemotherapeutic drugs, antifungal drugs, medicines for ulcers, and antipsychotic drugs cause infertility in men. They reduce male sperm count and hence lead to infertility in men.
12. Metabolic disorders: Celiac disease is a syndrome in which the patient becomes sensitive to gluten. A gluten-free diet can reverse male infertility due to the disease.
13. Genetics causes of infertility in men: If there is a chromosomal aberration (defect in structure) in the sex chromosomes it causes infertility in men. They are responsible for determining gender and affect sexual characteristics. The chromosome inside the cell guides and is responsible for every action. If the chromosome is defective, then it is obvious that the function will not be proper. Gene replacement therapies for genetically infertile men are being explored.
14. Blocked tubes for sperm transport: The sperm goes through many ducts from the testis to the urethra from where they have the common passage shared by urine duct. If there is a blockage in any of these tubes then even normal sperms won’t reach the urethra. So infertility in men will be the outcome. This is the same principle applied for permanent sterilization in which the tubes are cut and tied in vasectomy.
15. Tumors and cancers of reproductive parts: Tumor in the prostate gland or any other reproductive organ can make a male infertile. It is very evident that a tumor will hamper the particular organ’s function. But also as it grows in size, it will pressurize and crush the other surrounding area. Eventually, the removal of the organ will be necessary to prevent further damage.
16. Anatomical defects in reproductive parts: Chronic untreatable infertility is due to Cyrptochiodism or Hypospadias. Cryptorchidism is the condition in which testis remains in the abdomen and don’t descend in scrotal sacs. Hypospadias is the condition in which the urethra is under the male organ so it can’t deliver the sperms. For this artificial therapy is necessary to treat the cause of male infertility.

Risk factors for infertility in men

1. Alcoholism: Chronic alcoholism in men leads to impotence. The sperm count goes far below the normal level and men lose vigor and libido. The virility of an alcoholic man reduces dramatically.
2. Smoking more than permissible amounts: Nicotine in cigarettes causes stimulation of the adrenaline hormone. Nicotine leaves to infertility in men. Only in the case of infertility, the effect of smoking on men is worse than on women.
3. Taking Drugs or Drug Abuse: Drugs like mari-juana and cocaine lead to infertility in men. Steroidal preparations for accelerating muscle growth can also cause infertility in men.
4. Environmental impact: Being exposed to different kinds of pollutants or loud noise can impact sexual performance. Thus it affects fertility in men.
5. Exposure to laptop radiations and other thermal radiation: Scrotal sacs or say testis need a lower temperature than the body temperature. A study was recently published in an international journal about ‘men who keep their laptops on their laps tend to have lower sperm counts’. This is because the laptop battery radiates heat and thus heats the region and affects sperm production. Any other heat sources like using dryers for genital parts can also lead to infertility in men.
6. Stress: Emotional and physical stress beyond a limit has direct influence over the limbic system. The limbic system controls emotions and sexual desires. This can affect libido and might lead to infertility in men.
7. X-ray radiations: Radiations are harmful to any part of the body. X-Ray radiations can lead to triggering of oncogenes (inert cancer genes) and lead to tumors of the male sex glands.
8. Weight mismanagement: Obesity has adverse effects and so does abnormally low weight. Just like other things weight fluctuations and imbalance can affect fertility in men.
9. Masturbation: It is the act of stimulating yourself sexually by caressing genital areas and performing the virtual sexual act. It adversely affects the virility and libido of a man. Medical scholars, advice men to stop practicing Masturbation. Erectile dysfunction, impotence, and infertility are ill effects of masturbation. Masturbation alone has no benefits. All the viral articles praising masturbation are actually good effects of sex.
10. Exposure to industrial effluents and heavy metals: Exposure to industrial waste like benzene, chloroform, or heavy metals like mercury, lead, etc. can lead to infertility in men.

Note that age is not a risk factor in male infertility unlike in females where age is a key risk factor of infertility.

The post 15 Top Causes Of Infertility In Men appeared first on Pregnancy.

Any decision that you make should be after discussing with your doctor and learning about the treatments yourself.

Some of you might want to complement the medical prescription with home remedies for treating infertility in men. Also, it is essential to know about the complications of medications for impotence in men.

Male Infertility Treatments

1. Medications for treating infertility in men: Hormonal therapies, vigor producing drugs, lubricating jellies, etc. are treatments for infertility in men. To know about them continue reading till the end.
   • The first step is the collection of sperm from seminal fluid. Doctors might extract sperms from the testis if there is a tubal blockage hampering transport of sperm.
   • Sperms are then injected into the female’s vagina or directly placed in her fallopian tube.
   • If female partner has a problem too then IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) is an alternative.
   • Intracytoplasmic injection of sperm genes into egg cell cures infertility due to sperms not fertilizing the egg.
2. Assisted reproductive technology ART for treating infertility in men: ART for infertility in men includes all supportive therapies for infertility in men. An artificial support is given to help a man father a child.
3. Surgery for treating infertility in men: Surgery for removing the tubal blockage or treating varicoceles treats infertility in men. Surgery is the only way if sterilization treatment like vasectomy (cutting of vas deferens) is the cause of infertility.
4. Counseling and support for treating infertility in men: Counseling sessions and lifestyle change are alternative treatments for infertility in men. Home remedies are safe ways of treating infertility in men. Lifestyle changes go a long way to actually increase vigor and fertility in men.

If treatment for infertility in men doesn’t help, then the doctor might recommend you to take the sperms from a donor or for adoption.

Medications for infertility in men

1. Drugs for treating sex problems: For erectile dysfunction or impotence a prescription for sildenafil or Stendra cures infertility in men. These drugs will dilate blood vessels and help hold erections for longer. Doctors prescribe lubricants or jellies or even oils for better sex performance.
2. Hormonal supplements: If there is a problem in androgen (male sex hormone) production then hormone therapies treat infertility. These are steroidal preparations. If used without guidance their complications are beyond treatment.
3. Immunosuppressive drugs: If the body is producing antibodies against own sperms then doctors give immunosuppressive drugs. It is for suppressing the antibodies’ production against own sperms.
4. Antibiotics for curing STDs to treat infertility in men: Antibiotic therapy will treat the STD infection to cure infertility in men. Your fertility will restore after treatment of the particular STD.

Home Remedies for infertility in men

For supporting your medical therapies for infertility in men, you can do these home remedies along:

• Have sex more often when your partner has ovulated and is fertile
• Take a healthy diet rich in beta-carotene, folic acid, zinc and omega fatty acids to enhance sperm production
• There are sex exercises done for enhancing the vigor

Lifestyle changes for infertility in men

These are things that one can take up as lifestyle changes for treating infertility in men

1. Limit your alcohol and entertainment drugs. They are the main lifestyle habits that cause infertility in men.
2. Stop activities like masturbation which have nothing good. It is sex that you enjoy and masturbation alone is not helping you.
3. Exercise and do not sit at a stretch in a single place for hours. Sitting for long hours heats your scrotal sacs and doesn’t allow air circulation.
4. Eat healthy and maintain a healthy body weight. Fat around the belly affects testosterone (male sex hormone) production.
5. Do not use jellies, saliva, Astroglide etc. while having sex. They tend to affect sperm count and quality adversely.
6. Do not go for sauna, jacuzzi and hot showers very frequently.

Complications of treatment of infertility in men

1. Surgeries for treating infertility in men have a lot of side effects if not done by a medical expert
2. Treatment duration is long and recovery also takes time
3. Relationship and social problems due to taboos
4. Financially demanding treatments

As our last word, we would suggest that the world has a lot of homeless orphans. Adopting a child is better than bringing a new one from donors.

Even if you want your own offspring taking sperm from someone and getting a baby from surrogacy is just the same as adoption. Adoption is a noble deed.

The post Male Infertility Treatments appeared first on Pregnancy.

How To Avoid Infertility In Males?

Here are some precautions for preventing infertility in men:

1. Always have safe sex: No matter how high you are on life, wear protection before you make love to your partner. Having safe sex will guard you against genital herpes, gonorrhea, HIV, and other STDs or venereal diseases. The STDs can make one infertile and are terrible to experience.
2. Plan a balanced diet: Have foods that are rich in omega fatty acids like Chia seeds, cod liver oil, soya chunks, and others. Also, have a wholesome diet that has all vitamins and minerals. Every nutrient serves a purpose in your body. Also try including peppers, Oysters, garlic and other aphrodisiacs to enhance your vigor and libido.
3. Wear proper underclothing: Whether it is the hottest month of the year don’t subtract the layer of underclothing like supporters. Wear loose undergarments. Always wear a supporter while playing or hitting the gym. They protect the testis from shocks one might get during vigorous activity.
4. Don’t be an alcohol addict: The Department of Health has set the amount of alcohol consumption limit for a week to 14 units for men. This amount is approximately one and a half bottle of wine or seven glasses of 175 ml wine. Alcohol leads to zero sperm count hence one must strictly drink within limited amounts. Also, give a break to your liver alternate days for recovering from the detoxifying action.
5. Don’t smoke: Men metabolize nicotine faster than females but still are more harmed by it than a woman. So don’t smoke more than 4 cigarettes a day. Smoking produces infertility in men.
6. Don’t coitus interruptus or use non-standardized sex toys: Masturbation has many harmful effects on the reproductive and social well-being of a person. It makes men lose their vigor and sex drive. It lowers sperm count and drains you of energy and also other nutrients. One should refrain from masturbation as it is addictive. Also, don’t use cheap sex toys as they are potent to cause damages. You’d come to know only when going to the doctor will be the only choice.
7. Protect your genital parts from radiations: Always take a second opinion before going for any radiation therapies. Keep your mobile phones, laptops, etc. away from your body to avoid exposure to heat and other radiations. They affect sperm production.
8. Manage a constant and healthy weight: Exercise, keep changing postures, and give jerks to your body to prevent infertility. Sitting in a place for long hours can affect you and cause infertility problems. Also, a constant body is more important than having six or eight-pack abs. Get your body mass index BMI checked by a doctor or use online BMI calculators and keep it maintained in the normal range.
9. The stress of every form should be at bay: There is no benefit derived from taking stress about anything. Mental tension is a potential hazard that can cause you damage even if you are suffering from nothing. Stress especially emotional stress is the cause of infertility in men.
10. Think hundred times before getting a sterilization treatment: Once you get a vasectomy done it is tough to restore back the original organ structure. And anyway once you get a surgery done, there will be scars, and they pose you a high risk of becoming infertile.

Follow these simple things, and you will not have to dread from something almost every 1 out 6 couples are facing.

The post How To Avoid Infertility In Males? appeared first on Pregnancy.

Chances are you have a nagging feeling that you’re infertile, you can see the symptoms too. But now you should confirm it by getting a male infertility test.

Early detection can mean less stress and more chances of treating the problem. It’s of no use if you don’t see the sign on the wall, don’t get treatment and continue to try for a baby before finally giving up in frustration. 

How can men test infertility at home?

1. If you are not able to make a baby with your partner you know, there are chances that you’ve male infertility issues.
2. Check for the symptoms of infertility in men like erectile dysfunction, pain in testis, and painful sex with no climax.
3. You can even examine your sperm if it is not clear white or crème and is towards yellow or green then you need to see the doctor.
4. If you see sore patches or rashes on your genitals, then you might have or can have infertility problems in the future.
5. You can take a home sperm test for detecting infertility issues undetectable by the naked eye like low sperm count (oligospermia).

Read on to find out everything to know about home sperm fertility tests.

Home sperm test

What is a home sperm test?

A home sperm fertility test helps you to find out your sperm count and fertility. This male fertility test came to the market only a few years ago.

How to use a home sperm fertility test?

1. Collect your fluid just when you are about to discharge.
2. Mix it with the test solution of the home sperm fertility test.
3. Add around four drops of this mix in the test well in the home sperm fertility test kit.
4. Wait for ten minutes to read the results.

How does home sperm fertility test work?

1. Sperm fertility test has a solution that can react with the sperm head proteins.
2. This protein is exclusively present in the head of the sperm.
3. A normal sperm will react with the home sperm fertility test solution and give color. This way occurrence of the result line indicates the sperm count.

How to read the results of home sperm fertility test?

You get instructions manual with the home sperm fertility test which has the specifications about the results.

What is a positive result of home sperm fertility test?

A general result display is a colored line shows the results are positive and your sperm count is above 35 million per milliliter. And so you are less likely to have infertility.

What is a negative result of home sperm fertility test?

A blank result window is for a negative result. It shows that your sperm count is below 20 million per milliliter. Hence you have an infertility problem.

What are other home sperm fertility tests available for testing infertility in men?

A digital home sperm fertility test called Trak is also available to test infertility in men at home.

What are the advantages of home sperm fertility test?

1. You don’t have to go anywhere and so all that awkwardness in seeing a sexologist doesn’t stop you from testing infertility.
2. Also, it can be done at any time of the day unlike going to the doctor.

However, it is highly recommended that one gets tested by a medical professional to diagnose infertility in men.

Male Fertility Test By A Doctor

About 50% of infertile couples have infertility in the male partner. Out of ignorance, only 20% of infertility in men issues reach to doctors. That is 80% of men come to know about infertility late or never get themselves tested.

Being a man it is your responsibility to ensure that you get yourself a male fertility test if you and your partner are not able to conceive.

1. Discussion of medical history related to infertility in men: When you will go to the infertility clinic the doctor will ask you about your medical history. It includes any surgeries of the testis, tumors, and your sexual habits. Also, you’ll have to do the homework for answers to questions such as:
   • How long you take to reach the peak?
   • How much volume of sperm do you discharge?
   • What is the general erection achieving time?
   • Do you wear briefs often?
   • Do you go for jacuzzi or sauna frequently?
2. Physical examination: Physical examination for testing infertility in men is the inspection of external genitalia. The doctor will examine the male organ and scrotal sacs. He will also check any swelling or varicoceles (inflammation of blood vessels around testis). Don’t feel shy of the sexologist or infertility doctor. It is essential that you get the right diagnosis.
3. Spem analysis: After this, the doctor might ask you to give a sample of your fluid for analysis. It is the advanced level of home sperm fertility test. The analysis tests infertility in men when no cause is detected by external examination. Things checked are sperm count, motility, immune reactions, and shape of sperms.
4. Sperm mucus penetration test: The test evaluates the ability of sperms to move through vaginal mucus. Your partner’s cervical mucus mixed with your fluid is used for the test. The sample collection is by masturbation. You must not discharge for 2 days before the test but not longer than 5 days. It is possible that the cervical mucus of your partner has antibodies against your sperms. Another condition is when your own body produces antibodies against your sperms.
5. Sperm penetration assay: Even if sperms reach the egg they need to cross the covering. A rare male infertility test is to check sperm penetration. Hamster test is like the preparation of IVF. The eggs and sperms are incubated together. Results calculate the number of sperms that penetrate the egg.
6. Blood test: If a doctor suspects a sex disease then he might take a blood sample and test for diseases like HIV. These diseases can affect vigor, libido, and also can cause infertility in men. An immunoassay is done to detect any antibodies forming against your sperms.
7. Genetic test: A genetic test for infertility in men is for detecting any infertility that is genetically inherited in a man. It might include testing the chromosome (karyotype). This test detects the sex chromosome aberrations that cause infertility in men.
8. Hormone balance test: Male hormones the androgens are responsible for all sexual activities of men. If sperm count or motility is not normal then doctors test FSH, LH, and Prolactin levels. Hormone tests encompass checking levels and secretion functions. Further treatment involves hormone supplements for restoring reversible infertility in men.
9. Biopsy of testes: The doctor might take a needle and extract testes contents. The doctor will send it for tests. It will evaluate whether the problem is in sperm production or sperm transport. If the sperm production is regular then you are likely to have blocked sperm ducts. This test helps pinpoint the cause of infertility in men.
10. Urine test after sperm discharge: If you have a problem of retrograde ejaculation then this is the test doctor will suggest for you. If your fluid doesn’t come out and instead goes into your bladder, then your post-discharge urine will have sperms. It is a test for infertility in men.
11. Ultrasound of scrotal sacs: The production of sperms and storage of them in scrotal sacs is essential for fertility in men. An ultrasound detects whether your testes are at the right temperature. It will also help the doctor to see whether they have descended to the right level.
12. Sperm agglutination test: Agglutination is forming a lump of any particle such as antibodies to kill bacteria. Sperms can also club together and become stationary or slow. The vaginal tract contrasts with the environment inside male reproductive organs. Sperm agglutination test checks for such a reaction to treat the cause of it.
13. Rectal Ultrasound: A doctor might insert a microscope or a camera in a tube through your rectum. It is to see the internal arrangement of your prostate gland, urinary bladder, etc. It will detect any tubal blockages.
14. Hypo-osmotic swelling: Sperms are cells with the half amount of genetic material. All cells need a specific concentration of surrounding fluids maintained by buffers in the body. If the osmolarity changes then the cells either take in water and swell or exude and shrink. A live sperm in a low sugar solution will swell. The test is an indirect assay of the ratio of live sperms to dead or abnormal ones.
15. Acrosome Reaction: The sperm acrosome reaction is essential for fusion of genetic material. When the sperm encounters egg it must prevent more sperms fusing with it. The reactions between the egg and sperm lock the egg membrane towards other sperms. Faulty acrosome reaction causes polyspermy and genetic defects.
16. Vasography: X-ray examination of the tubes carrying sperms reveals any blocks. Vas deferens carry sperms between testes and urethra. There can be a leak of sperms or any obstruction in the pathway.
17. Hemizona Assay: The covering of egg has corona radiata. It is like spokes inside out of a wheel. A nonviable or defective egg otherwise useless is cut in half to perform the test.

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While infertility in women is a widely discussed topic, men suffer a more adverse crisis when it comes to their infertility.

The reality is more than 50% of couples who have not been able to make babies are actually suffering due to the male partner being infertile (Male Infertility).

A man’s inability to make a woman pregnant can be devastating for his self-esteem. And the more terrible issue is that a man feels more shy to go to see a doctor to meet a doctor to discuss infertility.

Unqualified quacks take advantage of such men and exploit them beyond imagination. Their unprofessional treatments only worsen the situation. Men find it even more difficult to talk about infertility.

So here’s the deal…

We will explain to you what exactly is infertility in males, symptoms, and also the various ways you can treat infertility.

What is infertility?

Infertility is the inability to reproduce even after having unprotected sex for more than a year. The technical definition might have some clauses to add on with respect to age.

Difference between fertility in men and women?

A man stays fertile for his entire life virtually. Women experience menopause at the age of 40, where her periods undergo cessation, and her reproductive phase ends.

Men don’t undergo or rarely undergo such a situation of andropause. So a male has a longer time to treat infertility and also to stay reproductively active.

What is infertility in men?

Male Infertility is the inability of making a woman pregnant. It is only when provided the fact that he has frequent sex with her for more than a year without using contraceptives.

A male needs to perform the following reproductive functions flawlessly to be fertile:

1. Produce a sufficient number of sperms more than 39 million per discharging of the fluid 
2. Store the sperms until discharge
3. 60% of the sperms must be in the right form, and 40% of them should have proper mobility
4. Sperm should have the enzymes and the energy to fertilize the egg
5. Have the erection of male organ by relaxing the blood vessels of the area and allowing blood to gush in and make the organ hard and erect
6. Hold the erection for the entire duration of having sex and be able to insert it till the right depth
7. Deliver the sperms deep inside the female’s vagina

If there is a problem in any of these, it can lead to men infertility.

Problems that lead to infertility in men are

1. Low sperm count
2. Erectile dysfunctionSperms are not of proper shape and size
3. Organs are deformed
4. Hormonal imbalance exists and hence affects reproductive processes
5. Lubricating fluids are not produced
6. Sex diseases
7. Premature discharge

Types of Male infertility

1. Primary infertility in men: Primary infertility in men is basic infertility in a man. It may be because of a single problem in the male reproductive system while the rest functions are going on normally. A man has an erectile organ, produces sperms and delivers the sperm deep in a woman’s vagina. Yet he is not fertile for reasons that cannot be diagnosed. It could be that the sperm count is very low or sperms are not of the right shape and size. In such situations, it gets challenging to identify the real reason for not being able to make a baby.
2. Sterility in men: Sterility in men is when the testes have not descended in the scrotal sacs (testis bags). It is called cryptorchidism. It is a genital defect. Sterility may also be in cases where the organ has other deformities or has erectile dysfunction. In such cases, the male partner’s fluid is artificially injected into the woman’s vagina. A low sperm count makes the sperm ineffective. In such a case seminal fluid from a donor is the solution for male infertility. Further treatments are also available if the problem is still not resolved.
3. Psychological infertility in men: Men who hate sex in every manner might be infertile apparently. However, they are very much capable of procreation once they got out of the psychological dilemma. This is the case of homosexuality. It is less common in men as an infertility type.

Symptoms of infertility in men

1. Problems in having sex like PE or very less fluid volume
2. Pain and swelling in scrotal sacs
3. Abdominal pain and night falls
4. The sense of smell reduces
5. Female partner is not getting pregnant
6. Gynecomastia that is the development of breast and mammary glands in male
7. Reduced secondary sexual characters like facial and body hair
8. Burning or itching in the organ and surrounding region

When do you need to see the doctor for infertility in men?

Once you’ve crossed a year of trying to make babies and have failed it is time to see the doctor. If you had sex with multiple partners, someone might be suffering from a sexually transmitted disease. You need to meet the doctor soon even before twelve months.

Other factors to consider before going to an infertility clinic:

1. Having problems while having sex
2. If you have had sterilization treatments like a vasectomy
3. When you have any swelling or feel clump in the genital areas
4. If your testes region was ever exposed to shocks during accidents

Overstressing about a problem makes things more complicated. So just relax and hold all your pieces together it’s not the end of the world.

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