Fertility Testing in Men

Couples who have been unable to conceive after one year of trying are considered infertile. One third of infertility cases are caused by male reproductive problems. The most common reproductive issues for men are hormone imbalances or blockages in the male reproductive organs. The causes – and their rates of occurrences – in male infertility are as follows:

• 10 – 15 percent of men do not produce sperm
• 40 percent of men produce less sperm than normal
• 50 percent of male infertility is not determined

Take this short fertility test to assess your fertility potential and to learn how to enhance your fertility. It will give you valuable information about yourself.

Possible underlying conditions that may cause male infertility are:

• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Blockages or physical damage to the reproductive system
• Retrograde ejaculation (when sperm enters the bladder instead of the penis)
• Genetic diseases
• Autoimmune issues
• Hormonal problems
• Sexual problems
• Excessive exercise
• Stress
• Obesity
• Use of illegal drugs
• Exposure to toxins
• Exposure to too much heat

A semen analysis is a common test for male fertility. It can determine a wide variety of reproductive issues. The sperm test can determine:

• Sperm number that comes in two forms:
  1. Azoospermia: when no sperm is produced, or sperm is not appearing in the semen
  2. Oligosperima: when an insufficient amount of sperm is found
• Sperm motility: measures how the sperm is moving and whether it is strong enough to fertilize an egg
• Sperm morphology: detects if there are problems with the form and structure of the sperm

Sperm testing can be ordered by the primary care physician or by an urologist who specializes in male health and infertility. Alternatively, there are few over the counter products that can check some aspects of sperm amount and/or quality. They are:

• SpermCheck is found in drug stores and informs if enough sperm is available (http://www.spermcheck.com)
• Trak device can be purchased online and measures sperm amount (https://trakfertility.com)
• Yo mobile device can be purchased online and measures sperm concentration, volume, and motility (www.yospermtest.com)

References:

• Male Infertility Best Practice Policy Committee of the American Urological Association & Practice Committee of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. (2006). Report on optimal evaluation of the infertile male. Fertility and Sterility, 86, S202–S209. 
• Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in collaboration with the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. (2008). Optimizing natural fertility. Fertility and Sterility, 90(5, suppl), S1–S6. 
• Male Sperm Home Testing (April, 2017): https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/03/at-home-sperm-health-selfies-are-on-the-rise/

About Opionato

Opionato (www.opionato.com) is your trusted go-to fertility expert accessible at anytime from anywhere. We assess your fertility potential and provide next-step fertility advice so your path to pregnancy is short and stress-free.

Opionato started with one woman’s personal fertility experience and the vision to give others what she lacked. Read Maja’s story here: https://www.opionato.com/blog/what-i-wish-i-knew-my-fertility-journey.