Male Infertility comes up as common as Female Infertility. Male Infertility can be in any man, who otherwise looks and feels healthy. Even someone who already has been a father before can combat it at a later stage. Fertility clinics focus on testing both males and females for addressing infertility at the earliest, so that no time is wasted for starting with the right treatment plan based on the accurate diagnosis.

Primarily, semen analysis is regarded as the basic test for identifying Male Infertility. As the name suggests, the test involves testing of the sperm to check out its ability to fertilize an egg successfully. The analysis includes the study of an array of parameters such as the Sperm Count, Motility, Volume, PH level, Morphology (appearance), Consistency, DNA Integration & Maturity. When sperm analysis turns out normal results, the specialist looks for other reasons of infertility. On the other hand, when this test shows some abnormality, further testing has to be done to establish the exact cause of male infertility and proceed with the right treatment.

Male Fertility Testing: Beyond Semen Analysis

After the basic semen analysis turns up with something amiss, the specialist has to adopt a number of advanced tests have been devised and these will now be discussed in detail.

Physical Examination: – Before approaching towards advanced testing, a simple physical examination by an expert urologist is done to identify a condition known as varicoceles. It refers to vein abnormality (enlargement) in the scrotum, which is one of the most common causes of Male Infertility. Fortunately, it can be easily treated with a simple surgery. Another parameter that is checked out during a physical exam is the testicular size.
Hormonal Testing: – Another thing that the specialist might want to rule out as a cause of male infertility is hormonal imbalance. Sperm production is influenced by a number of hormones such as Testosterone (Male Hormone), as well as FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone), LH (Luteinizing Hormone), Prolactin and TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone). Any abnormality in these hormones levels lead to male infertility, though this can be rare phenomena.
Scrotal Doppler: – It is the ultrasound done to measure the size & volume of the testes. It also gives information about the blood flow to the testes.
Genetic Testing: – Genetic testing refers to a blood test which has a closer look at the DNA, with the purpose of detecting a chromosomal defect. It is recommended for men whose sperm count is extremely low or sperm is nonexistent in the semen. Men with some congenital problems such as small testicular size & absence of vas deferens are considered as candidates of genetic testing. Similarly, couples combating multiple miscarriages can be made to take genetic tests.