Male Fertility Test

If you’ve been trying to start a family for a while and haven’t been able to till now then probably it’s time to get get a male fertility test done. 

Chances are you have a nagging feeling that you’re infertile, you can see the symptoms too. But now you should confirm it by getting a male infertility test.

Early detection can mean less stress and more chances of treating the problem. It’s of no use if you don’t see the sign on the wall, don’t get treatment and continue to try for a baby before finally giving up in frustration. 

Male fertility test
Male fertility test

How can men test infertility at home?

  1. If you are not able to make a baby with your partner you know, there are chances that you’ve male infertility issues.
  2. Check for the symptoms of infertility in men like erectile dysfunction, pain in testis, and painful sex with no climax.
  3. You can even examine your sperm if it is not clear white or crème and is towards yellow or green then you need to see the doctor.
  4. If you see sore patches or rashes on your genitals, then you might have or can have infertility problems in the future.
  5. You can take a home sperm test for detecting infertility issues undetectable by the naked eye like low sperm count (oligospermia).

Read on to find out everything to know about home sperm fertility tests.

Home sperm test

What is a home sperm test?

A home sperm fertility test helps you to find out your sperm count and fertility. This male fertility test came to the market only a few years ago.

How to use a home sperm fertility test?

  1. Collect your fluid just when you are about to discharge.
  2. Mix it with the test solution of the home sperm fertility test.
  3. Add around four drops of this mix in the test well in the home sperm fertility test kit.
  4. Wait for ten minutes to read the results.

How does home sperm fertility test work?

  1. Sperm fertility test has a solution that can react with the sperm head proteins.
  2. This protein is exclusively present in the head of the sperm.
  3. A normal sperm will react with the home sperm fertility test solution and give color. This way occurrence of the result line indicates the sperm count.

How to read the results of home sperm fertility test?

You get instructions manual with the home sperm fertility test which has the specifications about the results.

What is a positive result of home sperm fertility test?

A general result display is a colored line shows the results are positive and your sperm count is above 35 million per milliliter. And so you are less likely to have infertility.

What is a negative result of home sperm fertility test?

A blank result window is for a negative result. It shows that your sperm count is below 20 million per milliliter. Hence you have an infertility problem.

What are other home sperm fertility tests available for testing infertility in men?

A digital home sperm fertility test called Trak is also available to test infertility in men at home.

What are the advantages of home sperm fertility test?

  1. You don’t have to go anywhere and so all that awkwardness in seeing a sexologist doesn’t stop you from testing infertility.
  2. Also, it can be done at any time of the day unlike going to the doctor.

However, it is highly recommended that one gets tested by a medical professional to diagnose infertility in men.

Male Fertility Test By A Doctor

About 50% of infertile couples have infertility in the male partner. Out of ignorance, only 20% of infertility in men issues reach to doctors. That is 80% of men come to know about infertility late or never get themselves tested.

Being a man it is your responsibility to ensure that you get yourself a male fertility test if you and your partner are not able to conceive.

  1. Discussion of medical history related to infertility in men: When you will go to the infertility clinic the doctor will ask you about your medical history. It includes any surgeries of the testis, tumors, and your sexual habits. Also, you’ll have to do the homework for answers to questions such as:
      • How long you take to reach the peak?
      • How much volume of sperm do you discharge?
      • What is the general erection achieving time?
      • Do you wear briefs often?
      • Do you go for jacuzzi or sauna frequently?
    • Physical examination: Physical examination for testing infertility in men is the inspection of external genitalia. The doctor will examine the male organ and scrotal sacs. He will also check any swelling or varicoceles (inflammation of blood vessels around testis). Don’t feel shy of the sexologist or infertility doctor. It is essential that you get the right diagnosis.
    • Spem analysis: After this, the doctor might ask you to give a sample of your fluid for analysis. It is the advanced level of home sperm fertility test. The analysis tests infertility in men when no cause is detected by external examination. Things checked are sperm count, motility, immune reactions, and shape of sperms.
    • Sperm mucus penetration test: The test evaluates the ability of sperms to move through vaginal mucus. Your partner’s cervical mucus mixed with your fluid is used for the test. The sample collection is by masturbation. You must not discharge for 2 days before the test but not longer than 5 days. It is possible that the cervical mucus of your partner has antibodies against your sperms. Another condition is when your own body produces antibodies against your sperms.
    • Sperm penetration assay: Even if sperms reach the egg they need to cross the covering. A rare male infertility test is to check sperm penetration. Hamster test is like the preparation of IVF. The eggs and sperms are incubated together. Results calculate the number of sperms that penetrate the egg.
    • Blood test: If a doctor suspects a sex disease then he might take a blood sample and test for diseases like HIV. These diseases can affect vigor, libido, and also can cause infertility in men. An immunoassay is done to detect any antibodies forming against your sperms.
    • Genetic test: A genetic test for infertility in men is for detecting any infertility that is genetically inherited in a man. It might include testing the chromosome (karyotype). This test detects the sex chromosome aberrations that cause infertility in men.
    • Hormone balance test: Male hormones the androgens are responsible for all sexual activities of men. If sperm count or motility is not normal then doctors test FSH, LH, and Prolactin levels. Hormone tests encompass checking levels and secretion functions. Further treatment involves hormone supplements for restoring reversible infertility in men.
    • Biopsy of testes: The doctor might take a needle and extract testes contents. The doctor will send it for tests. It will evaluate whether the problem is in sperm production or sperm transport. If the sperm production is regular then you are likely to have blocked sperm ducts. This test helps pinpoint the cause of infertility in men.
    • Urine test after sperm discharge: If you have a problem of retrograde ejaculation then this is the test doctor will suggest for you. If your fluid doesn’t come out and instead goes into your bladder, then your post-discharge urine will have sperms. It is a test for infertility in men.
    • Ultrasound of scrotal sacs: The production of sperms and storage of them in scrotal sacs is essential for fertility in men. An ultrasound detects whether your testes are at the right temperature. It will also help the doctor to see whether they have descended to the right level.
    • Sperm agglutination test: Agglutination is forming a lump of any particle such as antibodies to kill bacteria. Sperms can also club together and become stationary or slow. The vaginal tract contrasts with the environment inside male reproductive organs. Sperm agglutination test checks for such a reaction to treat the cause of it.
    • Rectal Ultrasound: A doctor might insert a microscope or a camera in a tube through your rectum. It is to see the internal arrangement of your prostate gland, urinary bladder, etc. It will detect any tubal blockages.
    • Hypo-osmotic swelling: Sperms are cells with the half amount of genetic material. All cells need a specific concentration of surrounding fluids maintained by buffers in the body. If the osmolarity changes then the cells either take in water and swell or exude and shrink. A live sperm in a low sugar solution will swell. The test is an indirect assay of the ratio of live sperms to dead or abnormal ones.
    • Acrosome Reaction: The sperm acrosome reaction is essential for fusion of genetic material. When the sperm encounters egg it must prevent more sperms fusing with it. The reactions between the egg and sperm lock the egg membrane towards other sperms. Faulty acrosome reaction causes polyspermy and genetic defects.
    • Vasography: X-ray examination of the tubes carrying sperms reveals any blocks. Vas deferens carry sperms between testes and urethra. There can be a leak of sperms or any obstruction in the pathway.
    • Hemizona Assay: The covering of egg has corona radiata. It is like spokes inside out of a wheel. A nonviable or defective egg otherwise useless is cut in half to perform the test.
    There may be even more advanced infertility tests for men that come up by the time you read this article. All you need to do is know everything about your sex life and head to a qualified doctor.

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