Male fertility test, do I really need one?

Let's talk about why you might need a male fertility test

Can’t we just have IVF? 

You should have a male fertility test if you have been trying to conceive for longer than 6 continuous months. A lot of my patients are confused about the length of time they have been trying to conceive. If you are having intercourse and not using contraception you are effectively trying to conceive.

What is a male fertility test?

A comprehensive semen analysis test is a simple, fast, non invasive male fertility test. When done with an understanding of your own circumstances, it will give you a wealth of information about the male partners fertility potential, especially when combined with a DNA fragmentation test. Half of all individuals that are struggling to conceive are found to have abnormal sperm.  IVF is not the universal treatment for male infertility, it was not developed to solve male fertility issues. It was developed 40 years ago as a treatment for women with blocked fallopian tubes. IVF allows the women’s egg and the man’s sperm to meet and for this cause of infertility IVF remains relatively successful.

But IVF has no ability to improve your gametes (that is your egg) or sperm quality. IVF will not turn back time and it can not change the quality of the embryos that your sperm will create. Only 25% of male factor infertility patients will be successful with IVF.

Improving male fertility

It really is up to the individual to improve the quality of their sperm. This should always be done in conjunction with proper investigation. Sperm are very sensitive to their environment. Sperm are continuously produced, for this reason sperm quality can be improved. This is certainly our experience.

You can take back control and change your sperm and therefore your fertility outcome. IVF is expensive both emotionally and financially and not without risks to the women’s health. It has always surprised me that one partner is so willing to risk their health because the other partner has a low sperm count, especially when low sperm counts can be improved.

Sometimes changes to your lifestyle are what is needed such as giving up smoking and alcohol, getting regular exercise and eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables. However, in all cases the cause for your infertility must be investigated first. You can book a male fertility test with us. Only when the problem is diagnosed can effective treatment be offered. Sperm are generally 3 months in production so diagnosis today can literally change your fertility potential in a matter of months.