Do you want to know more about how a male fertilty check is performed? This articles lets you know what to expect in terms of personal questions on your fertilty history to the physical examination performed by the doctor.
Attending for a fertility check at a clinic is an important part of your journey towards parenthood. Nowadays, men should expect to be assessed, especially if a male fertility problem has been identified, or is suspected. This article explains what you might expect to happen when you visit the clinic.
While a lot of the focus during a fertility evaluation is on assessment of the female partner, male assessment is equally important, particularly if a problem has been found with sperm quality.
Prepare for personal yet important questions
The doctor or nurse that sees you will ask questions and while some of these may seem personal or embarrassing, they are important as they offer clues as to what the problem might be and that will be helpful in determining the best way to help you. This step is sometimes called ‘Taking the History’.
Going through your fertility history
Previous Surgery: It is important for the fertility team to be aware of operations on the testicles or groin. For example: if you had one or more undescended testes at birth that required a surgeon to bring them down into the scrotum, there may be sperm production problems. Some operations like hernia repair can result in damage to the testicles or to the vas deferens (the tubes that carry the sperm away from the testicles). Sometimes people aren’t always aware of the precise nature of operations that are performed in childhood. That is why examination can be helpful, as the pattern of scars can explain what went on.
Previous or Current Illness: Male fertility can reflect general health, so if you have a history of a significant chronic health problem, this may be relevant, especially if the condition is not well managed. Some drugs or other treatments can affect fertility, including some cancer treatments. Others can affect sexual functioning and if this is the case, the fertility clinic may contact other specialists to see if the medicines can be altered to ones that don’t cause problems. It is important though that if you think that a prescribed medicine is affecting your fertility, that you discuss it with your family doctor or fertility specialist first, rather than just stop taking it yourself.
Herbals, Supplements, or Recreational Drugs: Some non-prescribed health supplements, herbal preparations and over the counter medicines can be harmful to semen production. That is why it is important to be honest about what you take. Some recreational drugs can harm male fertility and should be avoided. Perhaps one of the more common problems that clinics see is the use of anabolic steroids for body building, which can wipe out sperm production all together. Studies have also suggested that some protein supplements can be contaminated with steroids and cause the same problems. Most of the time when these substances are stopped, sperm production eventually restarts; but in a small minority of men who take steroids long term, male fertility can be permanently affected. Furthermore, the use of these drugs can cause other health problems, such as liver problems, mood problems, problems with the blood becoming too thick (increased risk for clots) and acne. If you are using these products, we would recommend that you stop taking them and discuss the situation with your family doctor.
Puberty and Sexuality: You may be asked about how old you were when you went through puberty, or how often you shave. You will also be asked if you have problems with erections or with ejaculating. You may be asked if you feel that your libido (sex drive) is normal. These questions may seem a little strange, but are asked to see if you might have symptoms of a hormone problem or a genetic issue that may be linked to your fertility concerns.
Physical Examination during the male fertility check
This is an important aspect of the assessment. Men often have less contact with doctors than women and for many men this may be the first time that they have been examined by a doctor. Many people are a bit embarrassed, but just remember, it is all done for a purpose. If you would like your partner (or another staff member) present when you are being examined, just ask. Sometimes there may be Trainees present. It is important that the next generation of doctors and nurses learns how to look after men affected by fertility problems, but if you are uncomfortable with this you can tell the team that you would prefer not to have any one else in the room. Some men may prefer to be examined by a male doctor and if this is important to you, please make the clinic aware and they will then try and accommodate you when possible.
The doctor will examine your genital area. They will assess the volume of the testicles and look to see if the other parts of the male genital anatomy are normal also. This will include checking to see if the vas deferens (the tubes that carry the sperm away from the testicles) are present. They will also see if the caps at the top of the testicles are normal and look to see if you have a varicocele (varicose veins in the scrotum).
Further fertility tests
Once this has been completed the doctor or nurse will sit down with you to discuss what they think is happening and plan some tests. In terms of the male partner, this may include blood tests to check hormone levels and genetic tests, to make sure that there are no major abnormalities in the chromosomes (the structures in the cell that contain DNA) or that the sperm-making genes are missing. They may also check to see if you have any abnormalities in the genes that are involved in cystic fibrosis, as changes here can sometimes be linked to sperm blockage problems in men.
The key test is the semen analysis and this is usually repeated at least once. Sometimes the clinic may suggest other tests, such as those that look to see if the sperm’s DNA is damaged. On other occasions the clinic may suggest arranging an ultrasound scan of the testicles.
What is next
Once these results are available, the clinic will usually see you back to discuss them in detail and explain what your options are. If you or your partner have any questions, remember to ask them (some people write them down before they come in, so they don’t forget to ask them them). Most clinics send copies of the clinic letters to the patients, if they don’t write to the patient directly, but if you think that you aren’t getting the letters and would like to, please contact the clinic.
When you come back to the clinic you will have a chance to discuss the pros and cons of the treatments that are suitable for you. If no problems have been identified, the clinic may advise you to continue trying to conceive naturally for a bit longer.
If you feel that your male fertility concerns have not been properly investigated, it is important that you discuss this with the clinic staff. They may suggest asking you to see a male fertility specialist, who may be a urologist.
Infertility problems are stressful and if you find the process difficult to cope with, ask to see the clinic counsellor, or try the peer support platform on this site, to find out from other men, what the process is all about.
