Who Is Infertile?

Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse in a women under the age of 35 yrs (for those women over 35 years of age it is six months duration ).

Infertility affects about one in seven couples of childbearing age. Current statistics show that about 35% will be female related, 35% will be male related, 20% will be a combined problem and the remaining 10% will be unexplained.

For those who have a known diagnosis such as irregular cycles ,polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, fallopian tube blockage, male factor infertility should not wait for above period of time. Consequently, it is crucial to treat both the woman and man when assessing the infertility work-up phase of treatment.

Diagnosing cause of Infertility

Once the couple approaches us we carry out a thorough review of histories and previously conducted test . The couple goes through counselling sessions with our Fertility experts and is subjected to required testing in both men and women.

Once we have results, we chalk out a treatment plan for you.

Male Fertility Testing

Men should talk to a doctor if they have:

A low sperm count or other problems with sperm.

A history of testicular, prostate or sexual problems

Undergone treatment for cancer

Small testicles or swelling in the scrotum

Others in your family with infertility problems

Diagnosing male infertility problems usually involves:

General physical examination and medical history.This includes examining your genitals and asking questions about occupation, exposure to high temperature, radiation,any inherited conditions, chronic health problems hypertension diabetes, illnesses, injuries or surgeries that could affect fertility. Your doctor might also ask about your sexual habits and about your sexual development during puberty.

Semen analysis.Semen samples can be obtained in a couple of different ways. You can provide a sample by masturbating and ejaculating into a special container at the doctor's office.

Semen analysis.This is needed to evaluate sperm count and and motility and rule out male factor as the cause for infertility. We will look at:

Overall sperm count

Sperm motility (whether your sperm cells are moving and swimming effectively)

Sperm morphology (whether they are shaped properly)

Sperm vitality (the percentage within a given sample that are alive)

Semen Specimen Collection Guidelines

Abstinence Period: 3-4 days but no more than five days.

An oocyte selection may be performed prior to fertilisation to select eggs with optimal chances of a successful pregnancy.

Specimen Collection: The specimen should be obtained by masturbation only. Optimally, the specimen should be produced in ourclinic. We have collection rooms for this purpose.

The specimen should be ejaculated directly into the sterile container. It is important that you do not use any lubricant (i.e. lotion, oil, ) in obtaining the specimen. This may affect the results of the analysis.

If you collect the specimen at home, it should be delivered to our laboratory within one hour. Keep the container with the sperm tightly capped, and maintain it at body temperature

Collection into commercially available condoms is not acceptable. If you have difficulty producing by ejaculation, please consult your physician.

Depending on the results of your initial exam and semen analysis, your doctor may want to perform additional tests.

These tests may include:

Hormone testing

Genital ultrasound

Genetic testing

Following Basic Semen Analysis if required the husband will be asked to do further investigations Harmonal Assay, DNA fragmentation test , Scrotal USG