Often couples experience problems when trying to make a baby that calls for medical action just to see if there are any problems. Most often the male is the one to undergo fertility testing first since male fertility testing is far less evasive than female fertility testing. Once the male receives a clean bill of health, the female is the next one to under fertility testing. The male ego is somewhat tenderer than that of the female and male fertility testing can put stress on the man. Thoughts of exactly how fertility testing works to what if it is my fault are some thoughts that may go through the guys mind. Let’s take a look into what male fertility testing entails as well as some things to keep in mind if you or someone you know is dealing with infertility issues. When a man sets up a doctor appointment for fertility testing he can expect three things to occur. First the doctor will want a semen specimen. Next a medical history will be taken and finally a complete physical. Testing for infertility in men is rather common and not painful at all. Some questing a man can expect to have asked during the medical history analysis include:
Have you had any past surgical procedures?
Did you have any childhood illnesses?
Do you have any children from any previous relationships?
Have you had any STD’s?
Do you have a history of drug or alcohol use either now or in the past?
Have you ever experienced any type of pelvic injury?
There are a series of other questions the doctor may ask, but these are some you should expect.
An analysis is done on the sperm to diagnosis a variety of things. The concentration of the sperm is taken into account; how many sperm per milliliter. The morphology of the sperm is noted such as sperm shape and structure and if it is normal or abnormal. The motility of the sperm is analyzed. This detects whether the sperm move at a normal rate. A standard semen fluid test is done to analyze color and thickness of the sperm. A test is done to determine the total motile count, how many sperm are mobile. A volume test is also done to determine the amount of sperm per ejaculation.
A normal sperm concentration, morphology and motility, have been established as a guideline by the World Health Organization. The total motile sperm count should be about 40 million and is calculated by multiplying sperm volume by sperm concentration by sperm motility.
If the semen is found to be abnormally thick the sperm may swim slower. This may cause fertilization to be more difficult. If the sperm is improperly formed or disfigured to a percentage greater than 60%, they are considered unhealthy and it is unlikely that fertilization will occur.
The sperm-mucus interaction test is done to determine whether or not the sperm is able to swim through the female reproductive system. This test is done to make sure the sperm are able to swim through the cervical mucus of the female with ease.
SPA or sperm penetrations assay, also sometimes referred to as sperm-oocyte interaction test is performed to test the ability of sperm to penetrate an egg. In this test hamster eggs are used to test the sperms ability to penetrate.
An immunobead test is done to test the semen for antibodies that cause damage to be done to the sperm.
Taking a urinalysis test directly after ejaculation can help to determine if any diseases such as repeated UTI infections, diabetes or kidney disease exist. Blood tests are preformed to see if there are any problems with production of testosterone or the production of sperm.
After a proper diagnosis has been established, it is then determined if treatment is an option. In about half of all infertility cases in men, treatment is an option. So if you have been diagnosed with male infertility, don’t panic yet. There are three major procedures used in treating male infertility, assisted reproduction, drug therapy or surgery.
Keep in mind infertility is no laughing matter and each person reacts differently to dealing with the stress associated with being unable to conceive. Be sensitive if you have friends dealing with male infertility. It is not a good idea to make fun of the situation. Instead be sympathetic and just be a good listener. Often men just need someone to talk to and who will listen. Be encouraging. Explain to your friend over 50% of men with infertility issues can be helped medically. Also maybe hint around to the fact there are other options. Many children in this world need loving parents and are just waiting to be adopted.
Keep you head up and take the device of your physician.
