Semen test logistics...

[Marrick]

Hi all,

DH has to go for his semen tests on Friday (just starting to get investigated - my progesterone came back ok, now it's his turn!). The trouble is that the sample has to be handed in at a hospital several miles away, but within an hour of production. As the appointment's early in the morning, we're worried about getting stuck in traffic! But there are no 'facilities' in the hospital for it. Has this happened to anyone else? Is he just meant to go and produce on in the loos at the nearby services or something? And is that hygenic?!

We, or rather DH had that problem. We solved it by staying overnight in the city near the clinic so we could drop the sample off in the morning. Otherwise the only options were to hope for the best with the traffic or for him to sneak off to a toilet in the hospital (the instructions did say specifically not to do that though although I would imagine that's for reasons of decency rather than hygiene ). If there's a fertility unit at the hospital it might be worth asking if they have a room that he could use.

Didn't happen to us but know someone it did happen to. They had to cross the city at rush hour to get to their appointment from the suburbs on one side to the hospital on the other. They called and asked for advice the ever practical nurse suggested he shove it down his trousers for the journey to keep it warm and hope for the best.........not sure that was very NHS of her!!! The result was fine.......I'm guessing if it hadn't been there might have been more of a stewards enquiry!

Will definitely be booking a hotel next time. Poor DH had to go into the loos at the nearby supermarket, he was quite upset about the whole experience, but it's done now, and results due in 5-7 days. Most of the loos were out of order, apart from the disabled one, so he had to go in there, with the cleaner banging about outside. Very impractical, seen as we're over an hour away from the hospital if the traffic's bad!