Male fertility testing - straight to the point!!

[Sugartown79]

Hi all, we've been trying for over a year and after an emotional heart-to-heart the other day my partner has agreed to get tested (I've already been tested - no problems there I think). Just wondering, what exactly is involved in this? (No need to comment with the obvious, if you get me!!!) My doctor talks about it very matter of fact & doesn't really explain it very well, seems to talk about it like it's an everyday thing. We're not a particularly prudish couple but I think my partner's a little embarrassed about the thought of it, and to be honest I can see where he's coming from (for me its was a simple blood test, not sure why they cant develop something similar for men?!?!). Is it necessary to provide a sample in the doctors surgery or can it be done at home and then brought to doctors/hospital for analysis (my doctor suggested the latter but as I said not very clear and all very vague about the details - stupid new GP system means I can't even see him face-to-face these days!). Also, is the blood test I have done enough for testing everything? I always thought I might have PCOS but not sure if the blood test shows this. I know it sounds silly and my partner should just get it over with but we're trying to work through conceiving without the constant arguing and nagging I hear a lot of couples go through, so trying to help him out as much as possible. Thanks for any help on this

I'm pretty sure he just needs to arrange when and where, jizz in a cup and take it in. Should be painless enough.

Right - straight to the point as I do these for a living (great job eh? it's not all I do all day I promise...).

They are funny samples in that they need to be processed within 30 minutes of being taken so if you life further away than that he may need to do it at the hospital. They need to be dropped directly at the laboratory so if he gets an idea where he is going first that would be a help for him. The lab usually isn't too far from A&E.

In this cold weather he needs to make sure that the sample doesn't get cold - if he can, he can keep the specimen pot under his arm, or down the waistband of his pants. I know this sounds crazy but as the sperm cool they move less and one of the things we look at is the motility of them.

The lab staff are used to men dropping off samples and will try not to do anything that makes him uncomfortable but one thing - please, please, please ask him not to ask the lab staff if he can use the staff loo and if they have any magazines. This happens daily and still embarrasses me :( I was even once asked if I could help - yuk!

AuntieDee - thanks so much, that exactly what I wanted to know! We live about a 10 min drive from hospital so this shouldn't be a problem. To be honest the thought of him having to do it in a GP's bathroom or the like might be painless enough, but I'd feel mortified for him, never mind how he feels about it!! I've spoken to a few women whose partners refused to get tested ending in bitterness and sadly in some cases, not ever having children, so I was getting really worried this would happen to us. Thanks again x

For you, there should be blood tests at the beginning of your cycle to check LH/FSH and a blood test 7 days after ovulation to check progesterone levels. (If you think you have PCOS do you have long, irregular cycles? This can make it difficult to get the timing right for the second blood test and might take several attempts. I used ovulation sticks.) Other investigations vary in different areas and some are arranged by the GP and some are arranged by the fertility clinic. These include: blood tests for rubella immunity (plus HIV/hepB/syphilis if you end up going down the assisted conception route), swab for chlamydia, hysterosalpingogram (dye injected through cervix and then x rays to see if tubes are patent), vaginal ultrasound and laparoscopy.
Don't feel bad about him having to jizz in a cup because that is ALL he has to do in the process, apart from be there to support you.
I hope it works out for you, if 79 is your year of birth then there is a great thread here for women over 30 who have been TTCing for over a year, most of them are now at the FC stage and they can offer a lot of advice and support. It took me 2.5 years to conceive, with 2 failed IVF cycles and then a natural conception, but I'm now 33 weeks pregnant.

Thanks for this - I am not really sure if my cycle is considered irregular. Last month it was 36 days but this month its 32, is that irregular? Not sure if there is a few 'give or take' days. As you noticed, I am 35 and feel a bit ditzy that having had my periods for 20 years I should have taken notice of cycles etc. but obviously I was totally naive and just let it happen every month rather than taking any notice. I do wish someone had suggested ovulation tests sooner, as I just thought it was 'about' 11 days or so into mc, how wrong I was! I came off the pill Dec '13 (after 19 yrs!) and mc fairly irregular but seems to be more reliable last few months - hopefully this is a good sign? All my friends have babies and seemed to have conceived fairly easily (or if not, they just don't want to talk about it) so finding the advice on here very useful and making me much less upset and frustrated. I'll have a look at that 30+ thread, thanks for the advice xx

OMG, sorry just realised that 'mc' does not mean 'menstrual cycle'! Really can't get used to all these acronyms! As I said...slightly ditzy sometimes!

Mine have always varied between about 30 and 45 days and I don't have PCOS. With a cycle length between 32 and 36 days, you are probably ovulating somewhere between CD (cycle day) 16 and 22 but luteal phase (the second half of the cycle after ovulation) isn't always 14 days. I would probably start using ovulation sticks on CD 10. I used the expensive ovulation sticks for a few cycles but with long cycles (and long-term TTC!) I quickly changed to the cheapies from amazon. They take a bit of getting used to but much cheaper.
IKWYM about friends around you getting pregnant really easily, it can be very frustrating. Definitely push for the FC referral quickly, the whole NHS process can be very slow.

Sorry, that should be CD 18 to 22. (And consider temping if you haven't already to get used to your cycles, I used the fertility friend app.)

Good luck Sugar. DH & I just started assisted conception /ICSI and he's had to give 3 samples so far. He was just as uncomfortable about it but knew it had to be done and feels the same way about kids as I do. Most relief is getting some answers & being able to take it from there.
Fingers crossed for you.

Thanks for starting this thread. My husband has to have his swimmers checked. We have been referred to homerton hospital. I didn't even think to ask the doctor. Just grabbed the referral letter! X

Thanks ranchgirl - both of us can't wait to get pregnant, but I think we both thought it would just happen straight away so I think it hurt his man-pride when I suggested there might be something wrong with his swimmers, lol! At the end of the day I think us women are more used to the poking & prodding of doctors with smear tests & the like so not surprised he's a little apprehensive. I actually found on Google the step by step process for sperm tests for our local hospital last night, not sure why they didn't give us this in the referral pack!

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It was some sort of spam thing.