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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou should start with your family doctor or a general practitioner. However, he or she may well refer you to an infertility specialist.
Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions. At the time you make the appointment, be sure to ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as refraining from ejaculating for a certain period of time or stopping certain medications.
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
- Find out whether you have a family history of fertility problems. Having a male blood relative, such as your brother or father, with fertility problems or other reproductive issues may give clues to the cause of low sperm count.
- Make a list of all medications, vitamins and supplements that you're taking.
- Take your partner along. Even if you have a low sperm count, your partner also may need tests to see whether she has any problems that could be preventing pregnancy. It's also good to have your partner along to help keep track of any instructions your doctor gives you or to ask questions you may not think of.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What do you suspect may be causing my low sperm count?
- Other than the most likely cause, what are other possible reasons my partner and I haven't been able to conceive a child?
- What kinds of tests do I need?
- Will my partner also need tests?
- What treatments are available to increase my sperm count? Which do you recommend?
- Are there any restrictions that I need to follow?
- At what point should we consider other alternatives, such as a sperm donor or adoption?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What websites do you recommend visiting?
Don't hesitate to ask additional questions during your appointment.
What to expect from your doctor
Some questions your doctor may ask you include:
- At what age did you start puberty?
- Have you had a vasectomy or a vasectomy reversal?
- Do you use illegal drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine or anabolic steroids?
- Have you been exposed to toxins such as chemicals, pesticides, radiation or lead, especially on a regular basis?
- Are you currently taking any medications, including dietary supplements?
- Do you regularly take hot baths or steam baths?
References
- Agarwal A, et al. Assessing sperm function. Urology Clinics of North America. 2008;35: 157.
- McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2012. 51st ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=1. Accessed July 20, 2012.
- Patel ZP, et al. Male factor assessment in infertility. Medical Clinics of North America. 2011;95:223.
- Swerdloff RF, et al. Evaluation of male infertility. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed July 19, 2012.
- European Association of Urology Guidelines on Male Infertility: The 2012 Update. Arnhem, Netherlands: European Association of Urology. http://www.uroweb.org/guidelines/online-guidelines. Accessed July 20, 2012.
- The optimal evaluation of the infertile male: AUA best practice statement. Linthicum, Md.: American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. http://www.guideline.gov/content.aspx?id=23921&search=male+infertility. Accessed July 19, 2012.
- Swerdloff RF, et al. Causes of male infertility. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed July 19, 2012.
- Wang C, et al. Treatment of male infertility. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed July 19, 2012.
- Loughlin KR. Changes in male fertility in the last two decades. Urology Clinics of North America. 2012;39:33.
- Asplund C, et al. Genitourinary problems in bicyclists. Current Sports Medicine Reports. 2007;6:333.
- Frey KA. Male reproductive health and infertility. Primary Care Clinics Office Practice. 2010;37:643.
- Showell MG, et al. Antioxidants for male subfertility. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007411.pub2/abstract. Accessed July 23, 2012.
- Patel SR, et al. Antioxidant therapy in male infertility. Urology Clinics of North America. 2008;35:319.
- Trost LW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 9, 2012.
- De Celis R, et al. Semen quality of workers occupationally exposed to hydrocarbons. Fertility and Sterility. 2000;73:221.
- Swan SH. Semen quality in fertile US men in relation to geographical area and pesticide exposure exposed to hydrocarbons. International Journal of Andrology. 2006;26:62.
- El-Helaly M, et al. Workplace exposures and male infertility - A case control study. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health 2010;23:331.
- Murphy LE, et al. Folate and vitamin B12 in idiopathic male infertility. Asian Journal of Andrology. 2011;13:856.
- Lenzi A, et al. Use of carnitine therapy in selected cases of male factor infertility: A double-blind crossover trial. Fertility and Sterility. 2003;79:292.
- Ross C, et al. A systematic review of the effect of oral antioxidants on male infertility. Reproductive BioMedicine Online. 2010;20:711.
- Menezeo Y, et al. Antioxidants to reduce sperm DNA fragmentation: An unexpected adverse effect. Reproductive BioMedicine Online. 2007;14:418.
- Misell LM et al. A stable isotope/mass spectrometric method for measuring the kinetics of human spermatogenesis in vivo. Journal of Urology. 2006;175:242.
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