Michelle Emblenton, biochemist at inviTRA, tells us how male fertility tests are performed:
If you have been trying to conceive for a year now with regular unprotected sex and have not been successful, or 6 months if you are over the ages of 35 to 37, it is time to visit a fertility clinic to see if there are any underlying problems. When you visit a clinic your specialists will start by asking a series of questions to build up a medical history and order a series of tests on both the man and the woman to check on the fertility.
Specifically, the fertility tests involved in a male fertility study will include a physical examination to check overall health and of the reproductive organs, a semen analysis to check the quality and quantity of the sperm and hormonal tests to check the levels of the male sex hormones.
Not all tests will always be performed. It will depend on the particular issues presented by the male. These tests are usually done to find out the cause of the infertility to best decide on the course of treatment.
