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Male Infertility - Diagnosis

Overview | Causes | Diagnosis | Treatment | FAQ

If you and your partner desire to become pregnant and are unable; and a reasonable amount of time has passed to no avail, seek help. The woman's gynecologist or the man's urologist may be able to determine whether there's a problem that necessitates a specialist or clinic that treats infertility problems.

Before beginning infertility testing, please note that a certain amount of dedication is required. Your doctor will typically begin a complete infertility examination of both you and your partner. Your doctor will need to determine your sexual habits and may make suggestions about how you may need to change those habits. The tests and phase of trial and error may take several months.

Fertility assessment can be expensive and in certain cases involves painful procedures; furthermore many medical plans may not reimburse the expenses. It is important to consider that conception is not guaranteed, even after all the testing and counseling.

The testicles of a fertile man produce enough healthy sperm, and the sperm must be ejaculated successfully into the woman's vagina. The below tests for male infertility help determine whether any of these processes are impaired.

• A general physical examination is conducted. This includes an examination of your genitals as well as questions concerning your medical history, illnesses and disabilities, medications and sexual habits.

• The semen analysis is the most important test for the male partner. You may be asked for one or more semen specimens. Semen is usually obtained by masturbation or by intercourse interruption and ejaculation into a clean container. Your semen specimen is analyzed for quantity, color, and presence of infections or blood by a laboratory. An in depth analysis of the sperm is completed. The laboratory will determine the sperm count and any irregularities in the shape and motility of the sperm. Typically sperm counts will fluctuate from one specimen to the next.

• It is common to perform a blood test to determine the level of testosterone and other male hormones.

• A transrectal and scrotal ultrasound may be conducted. This may help your doctor look for indicators of conditions such as retrograde ejaculation and ejaculatory duct obstruction.