Male Infertility Assessment
Male factors contribute to roughly half of infertility, yet the male partner is often not tested for months. A semen analysis is quick, inexpensive and non-invasive, and it changes the direction of treatment more often than any other single test.
- Simple, quick and inexpensive
- Repeated before conclusions are drawn
- Hormonal and physical causes checked
- Several causes are treatable
Stay
Outpatient
Duration
Assessment over a few weeks
Anaesthesia
Not applicable
About Male Infertility Assessment
Assessment starts with a semen analysis, repeated after a few weeks because results vary considerably between samples. Where abnormal, examination looks for a varicocele or obstruction, and hormone tests assess testicular function. Several causes are treatable, and even where they are not, ICSI usually allows a couple to proceed using the sperm available.
- Semen results vary, so one abnormal sample proves little
- Varicocele is common and sometimes treatable
- Heat, smoking, alcohol and some medications affect sperm
- ICSI allows treatment even with very low counts
Before you read on
Everything here is general information about male infertility assessment. Whether it suits you, and how it would be done in your case, is a decision for your doctor after examining you.
Your consultant's instructions always take precedence over anything written on this page.
When is it recommended?
Situations in which a doctor may suggest male infertility assessment.
- Any couple investigating infertility
- Abnormal semen analysis needing further assessment
- Previous testicular surgery, injury or undescended testis
- Previous chemotherapy or radiotherapy
- Erectile or ejaculatory difficulty
- Known varicocele with fertility concerns
Procedure details
The usual sequence, from first consultation through to follow-up.
Semen analysis
A sample after two to five days of abstinence, assessed for count, motility and morphology, and repeated after a few weeks.
History and examination
Medical, surgical and lifestyle history, with examination of the testes looking for varicocele, absence or abnormality.
Hormone testing
Blood tests including testosterone and FSH where the count is low, which distinguishes production from obstruction.
Plan
Treatable causes are addressed. Where they are not, the plan moves to ICSI, with surgical retrieval where no sperm is present.
How to prepare
What to sort out before you come in.
- Abstain from ejaculation for two to five days before providing a sample
- Avoid alcohol and illness in the days before, as both affect results
- Bring details of previous surgery, mumps, injury or chemotherapy
- List medications and supplements, as several affect sperm production
- Be prepared to repeat the test, as a single result is not conclusive
Recovery
What to expect afterwards, and roughly when.
- Sperm production takes about three months, so changes take that long to show
- Stopping smoking, reducing alcohol and avoiding heat all help measurably
- Where a varicocele is treated, improvement takes several months if it occurs
- A repeat analysis is arranged after any intervention
- Even with very low counts, ICSI usually allows treatment to proceed
Why choose Humayun for male fertility assessment
Half of infertility involves the male partner, and the test that finds it is the cheapest one available.
- Both partners assessed from the first visit rather than testing the woman for months first
- Semen analysis repeated before conclusions, since results vary considerably
- Treatable causes looked for rather than moving straight to ICSI
- Andrology laboratory on site, so samples are assessed promptly and properly
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Fertilisation carried out in our in-house embryology laboratory, followed by embryo transfer.
IUI (Intrauterine Insemination)
Prepared sperm placed directly into the uterus around ovulation - a simpler first step than IVF.
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Investigation of both partners to establish why conception has not happened, before any treatment is recommended.
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Medication to stimulate the ovaries to release an egg, for women who ovulate irregularly or not at all.
ICSI
A single sperm injected directly into an egg during IVF, used where sperm count, motility or shape is the problem.
Embryo Culture
The days in the laboratory between fertilisation and transfer, where embryos are grown and assessed.
Blastocyst Culture
Growing embryos to day five before transfer, which allows the strongest to be identified more reliably.
Embryo Transfer
Placing the embryo into the uterus, a brief outpatient procedure needing no anaesthetic.
Semen Analysis
Laboratory assessment of sperm count, movement and shape, the first and most useful test in male fertility.
Fertility Counselling
Support through the emotional and practical side of fertility treatment, which most couples find harder than the medicine.