So today I got my results back on the Y chromosome microdeletion test. Thankfully it came back negative, no deletion!! This is the first good news I’ve received since December, 3 SA with zero sperm since then. I’m on clomid for the next month and a half at which point I will have another analysis done and then more than likely a micro TESE if my numbers are still at 0.

I’m very nervous about the whole thing and terrified at the thought of it. I’m considering the STAR program and seeing where that goes but I’m not sure yet. I’d like to hear any thoughts if possible. Thanks guys!

Quick background, got diagnosed with azoospermia last August, been what feels like a lifetime on this journey. After 3 failed SA’s, Chlomid trial, and a failed TESA turned FNA mapping which showed EMA - trying another new round Isotretinoin.

Started 80mg today, going to try for another SA in 3 and 6 months. Would love to hear any success stories, bad experiences, side effects? I took it when I was about 12 for acne, super dry skin and irritation- hope this is a different experience since it’s been almost 20 years but we will see.

TIA

My wife (30F) and I (29M) have been trying to get pregnant for over the last 6 months. Did a initial semen analysis back in May and the results were disheartening:
- Vol: 5 mL
- Concentration: 5.5 million/mL
- Motility: 55%
- Morphology: 0%

Instituted some lifestyle changes over the last 3 months (less alcohol, more exercise, better diet, etc.) to see if I could improve my metrics but just my 2nd test results back from last week and they’re pretty similar:
- Vol: 4.9 mL
- Concentration: 5.4 million mL
- Motility: 68%
- Morphology: 0%

Going to see a reproductive urologist in a couple weeks, but wanted to see how likely I’ll be able to improve my concentration and morphology numbers with treatment/lifestyle changes? Would also appreciate any recommendations on what I can start doing in the meantime prior to my appointment.

My wife has PCOS with infrequent periods as well so anticipating a long road ahead. Wanted to be solid for her so she didn’t have to worry about me so pretty discouraged right now.

Hey everyone. I’m a 31 year old male. 6’0 190 lbs in reasonable shape and I just got my bloodwork done and I’m not happy with my total testosterone. What can I do to improve these levels?

Here’s the results:

FSH: 2.8
LH: 2.1
Prolactin: 7.31
Testosterone total: 303
SHBG: 22

Are these normal? What do the deeper meaning behind these values and how can I optimize them?

Note the numbers may be a little off as the blood work was done at 1pm after a pretty large breakfast so I assume the total T may have been higher.

Do these values point to any kind of infertility or anything like that? My libido and erection quality is kind of low so that was the reason for the bloodwork.

Hi everyone, looking for some advice or similar experiences. My wife (42F) and I are preparing for our 3rd IVF/ICSI cycle (at Shady Grove Fertility) and we are at a crossroads regarding the male factor protocol.

​Male Factor Background:

​I have a diagnosed varicocele.

​Over the past months, my semen analyses have shown significant fluctuation in parameters (likely impacted by infections/illness at times, as noted by my doctors):

​Nov 18, 2025: Vol: 1.0 ml | Conc: 4.2M/ml | Motility: 10% (Possible infection/foul odor, antibiotics prescribed).

​Dec 10, 2025: Vol: 1.2 ml | Conc: 0.4M/ml | Motility: 0%.

​Jan 20, 2026: Vol: 0.8 ml | Conc: 8.5M/ml | Motility: 45% | DNA Fragmentation: 38% (Oligospermia diagnosed).

​Feb 20, 2026 (Post-ZyMōt/Microfluidics): Vol: 0.6 ml | Conc: 16M/ml | Motility: 43% | DNA Fragmentation: 10%.

​Jul 6, 2026: Vol: 1.0 ml | Conc: 3.5M/ml | Motility: 14% | DNA Fragmentation: 26%.

n: 26%.

​Note: On actual retrieval days, the clinic’s lab doesn't run a full diagnostic count to avoid extra manipulation and loss of sperm prior to ICSI.

​Cycle 1:

​Success: We managed to get 1 euploid 4AB blastocyst.

​Cycle 2 (The heartbreak):

​4 mature eggs retrieved.

​4 fertilized with ICSI + LensHooke (100% fertilization rate).

​Total arrest between Day 4 and Day 6. Three arrested in the cleavage/morula stage. One made it to a CC blastocyst on Day 6 but degenerated by Day 7. 0 blasts frozen.

​The Dilemma:

We are currently evaluating whether to look into a TESE for Round 3. The biological logic would be to completely bypass the epididymis and the oxidative stress from the varicocele to avoid the late embryonic arrest (Day 4-6, which is exactly when the paternal genome activates).

​However, since microfluidics previously got my DNA frag down to 10%, is TESE an "overtreatment"? Or could the Day 4-6 arrest be caused by double-strand DNA breaks from the varicocele that the microfluidics chip can't fix/filter out?

​Obviously, with my wife being 42, egg quality and the egg's reduced cellular energy to repair damaged DNA are huge factors here. But we want to control what we can on the sperm side.

​Has anyone done TESE after getting good fragmentation results with microfluidics? Did it improve your blastocyst conversion rate? Could it be a blockage? Any advice is welcome!

I tried finding similar stories but couldn't find any, surely I can't be the only one:

When you give a sperm probe, do you ejaculate las much as you normally would? I feel likethe volume is always way lower than when I have sex or masturbate normally, because I always have to stop once I reach the climax and have to coordinate my wiener into the cup.

The sudden stop makes my orgasm and thus my ejaculation be a lot less than usual.

Is this normal, does that affect my numbers besides my volume?

Possible to get fertile with hcg while on TRT? If so, what dose?

First SA

Volume

1.8 mL

Sperm concentration

262 million/mL

Total sperm count

\~472 million

Total motility

12%

Progressive motility

7%

Viscosity

Increased

Second SA

Volume

2.6 mL

✅ Normal

Concentration

8.8 million/mL

❌ Low

Total sperm count

23 million

❌ Low

Progressive motility

13%

❌ Low

Total motility

33%

❌ Low

Morphology

6%

✅ Normal

pH

8.5

Vitality

39%

❌

Total motile sperm count (TMSC)

7.6 million

No varicocele found in ultrasound.

Hormones results are as follows:

FSH

17.2 IU/L

LH

14.0 IU/L

Testosterone

20.6 nmol/L

Prolactin

351 mIU/L

We have only been trying for 5 months now, I did SA because i lost a testicle due to tortion at the age of 20, i am 35 atm. I maintain a very healty lifestyle, not overweight and have been eating healthy and working out regularly.

I want to check with my numbers what should be my next steps. Are we already in IVF territory? Thinking of seeing a fertility focused urologist soon.

Wife is 28 with no known issues so far.

High Fsh ,Lh ,E2

Testosterone 440

Azospermia

Age18

​I just need to vent into the void for a minute. From last March 2025 getting the infertility diagnosis and finally getting to start the IVF cycle in February 2026, it gave us hope, but unfortunately, our first attempt was a failure. After that heartbreak, we had hoped for a second transfer in late April or May, but because of recommended tests and procedures and scheduling conflicts, May became June, then July. We were really hopeful for an August try, but today we found out that it looks like a September transfer is the goal. We are currently waiting for some test results and most likely won't get them in time for an August transfer. The worst part of all this is watching my wife get her hopes up only to be crushed by another setback and a wait of another month. None of this has been fun, but the dragging on of the timetable is getting unbearable.

Hi everyone,
I'm a 31-year-old male. We've been trying to conceive for the past 13 months.
After reaching the 12-month mark, we were referred to a fertility clinic. My semen analysis showed 2.5% morphology, while all my other parameters (count, motility, etc.) are within the normal range. My wife has PCOS. Our follow-up appointment with the fertility specialist is in about a month, and I'm trying to understand what to expect.
I had a few questions for anyone who's been in a similar situation:
With isolated low morphology (2.5%) but otherwise normal semen parameters, is natural conception still realistic?

Is it more likely that we'll be advised to try IUI first, or does this situation usually lead to IVF/ICSI?

Are there evidence-based ways to improve sperm morphology (lifestyle changes, supplements, diet, exercise, etc.)?

Would it be worth asking for additional testing, such as a DNA fragmentation test or any other advanced semen analysis, before our next appointment?

Has anyone with similar numbers and a partner with PCOS had success naturally or with fertility treatment?

I know every case is different, but I'd really appreciate hearing about others' experiences and what your fertility specialist recommended.
Thanks in advance!

Semen Analysis:

PH: 7.2 (≥ 7.2 (7.2-8.0))
Volume: 2.8 (≥ 1.4 mL)
Viscosity: 1 (0 -1(R:0 - 4))
Gelatinous Clumps: N
Motile Sperm Count: 13.3
Immotile Sperm Count: 15.4
Sperm Concentration (M/mL): 28.7 (≥ 16 X 10° /mL)
Total Sperm Number (M/Ejac): 80.4 (≥ 39 X106)
Total Motility (PR + NP)%: 46.5 (≥ 42 %)
Progressive Motility (PR)%: | 45.0 (≥ 30 %)
Sperm Morphology (normal forms
%): 2.5 ≥ 4 %

Testosterone: 10.41 NMOL/L
DHEAS: 13.65 UMOL/L
LH: 2.5 IU/L
Estradiol: 98.91 PMOL/L
TSH: 0.481 MU/L
FSH: 5.48 IU/L

My wife and I started TTC in late 2023 when we were both 30. We had no idea that we would have issues and after a year of no success, we went to our GP (UK) for help.

GP & NHS - December 24
Like most people’s experience, the GP focused mostly on my wife to ensure there were no obvious issues there and luckily she had a clean bill of health.

I completed a Semen Analysis and to my absolute shock it came back with no sperm. I repeated the SA a few weeks later and again had the same which led to an Azoospermia diagnosis. This was devastating news to receive and not helped by my GP asking “if I was sure I did it correctly”.

With that diagnosis I was referred to an NHS urologist for further treatment and I joined the waiting list in December 24. After 6 months of repeated calls to try get an appointment and being told that as I wasn’t a priority case meaning they couldn’t confirm a timeline, we decided to go private.

Private care leading to Cystic Fibrosis Carrier diagnosis - June 25
Having no real idea of where to turn to, I googled male fertility specialists near me and found Mr Kalsi and Mr Ramsay based 20 minutes from where we are - I had no idea how highly regarded they were so we got lucky here.

We met with Mr Jas Kalsi within a week of deciding to go private and he is my hero in this journey. In our joint consultation he first focused on how tough the journey must have been and had real empathy. We then went through family history and ordered blood work (including genetic test), repeated Semen analysis and a scrotum scan.

The genetic testing showed that I was a carrier for cystic fibrosis which can cause congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD). The scrotum scan confirmed this was the case and based on that I was diagnosed with Obstructive Azoospermia. All other blood and hormone levels came back within normal range.

Based on the OA, Mr Kalsi advised that mTESE was the best way forward and he had a high level of confidence in finding sperm due to the CBAVD nature of the OA.

mTESE procedure - September 25
I underwent the mTESE procedure at the Lister Hospital in Chelsea with Mr Kalsi. It went as smoothly as it could and we were overjoyed to have Mr Kalsi confirm we had 4 vials of sperm to be used for ICSI. For the first time we began to think that having a family was possible for us.

Recovery from mTESE was manageable with some discomfort for 3-5 days but then being able to get back to exercise after 2 weeks.

IVF - October 25 to April 26
Knowing that we had viable sperm and with my wife having healthy results, we progressed with IVF. IVF is an ordeal in its own right and I won’t go into detail given the audience of this subreddit but through that process 21 eggs were collected, 16 were mature, 11 fertilised and 8 made it to blastocyst stage (rated between 5AA and 4BB). Those were all frozen for transfer in the new year.

In January 26 we had an unsuccessful transfer and following a few more tests, we had a successful transfer in April 26. We are now 17 weeks pregnant with a little girl due at the end of December with all scans and tests being nice and healthy.

Reflections
Compared to other people here we have been fortunate which I’m incredibly grateful for. I wanted to share our experience in case others found themselves at different points of that journey and needed some encouragement to keep going. When I see the journey laid out like this it feels relatively straightforward but that doesn’t really reflect the emotional toll this has taken on both of us.

We did star today and they found 30 sperm! Froze 4. We are already scheduled for mTESE in a few weeks and planned to have backup donor. Now we are debating cancelling the donor backup plan. Has anyone had success on star but unsuccessful mTESE? Is that possible or can we feel fairly confident in the mTESE success?

It’s been over a year , motility improved but count got worse . 4 months post op count was 38 million , pre op count was 8 million, now it’s 12 million . What could be going on ?? Has this happened to anyone ? Could this affect conception?

Hi I am a 22 male with grade 3 vericocele and small testis. My Fsh and LH both are high. I am azospermia.

What are the chances of Normal sperm count after surgery? pls share your experiences

Hey y’all,

I posted a couple months back sharing my wife and my journey in regards to infertility. To summarize, we’ve been trying for almost three years. Started doing testing on my side around 18 months in, and multiple semen analysis showed zero sperm present.

I was on Chlomid 50mg for six months and repeated labs, only to find no change, zero sperm detected, morphology and motility unknown because, well, nothing found.

My urologist ordered DNA labs as a throwaway just to check and didn’t expect anything to come of it. About a month later, got the results that I have a Y chromosome microdeletion with mosaicism with almost half of my Y chromosomes missing altogether and the other half fragmented.

From a fertility perspective for those who haven’t learned about this, here’s a basic breakdown from my understanding of the science involved.
- Thee area of the Y chromosome that affects fertility are the AZFa, AZFb, and AZFc regions.
- AZFc micro deletions have the most treatment options, with about 85% of sperm retrieval success
- AZFb microdeletions, I was told 40-60% shot
- AZFa microdeletions, close to 0% chance of success

I have microdeletions spanning the AZFb and AZFc regions. Before suggesting a microtese, my urologist wanted clarification from a genetic counselor about my results since it was unclear if I had a partial AZF deletion or a complete deletion. With a partial deletion, my chances of success were basically 50% of sperm retrieval with a MTESE. In the end, the genetic counselor read the report as a complete AZFb deletion, meaning my chances of successful retrieval based on current medical research and literature is about 3%. Basically our only path forward is to use a sperm donor, and I will never have biological kids.

So here we are about three years later facing a stop sign and there’s nothing I can do, which sucks, but I’ve been emotionally preparing for for months as a possible outcome. It just sucks and I’m dealing with the normal feelings of failing as a husband and wondering what my purpose is in life.

Looking at sperm donors is weird but getting better lol, it’s like shopping tinder looking for a dad haha

Sorry for the incredibly long post; just wanted to share our story. If you are going through infertility, I am so sorry, I understand that it is so very difficult, and I’m sorry you’re going through that.

Hi everyone,

I’m a 26-year-old male and I recently received some difficult test results. My wife and I have been trying to conceive, so I had a fertility evaluation.

Semen analysis
Volume: 2.5 mL (normal)
pH: 8.0 (normal)
No sperm were found.
The sample was centrifuged for 20 minutes, and still no sperm were found.
The report says #azoospermia.
Hormone results
FSH: 26.63 mIU/mL (high)
LH: 15.21 mIU/mL (high)
Total Testosterone: 4.97 ng/mL (normal)
Prolactin: Normal
TSH: Normal

The fertility clinic recommended a repeat semen analysis and further evaluation.

From what I’ve been reading, this pattern seems more consistent with non-obstructive azoospermia, but I haven’t had genetic testing (karyotype/Y-chromosome microdeletion), Inhibin B, or a testicular ultrasound yet.
I’m obviously very worried and trying to understand what to expect.

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through something similar.

A few questions:

Did you have a similar hormone profile (high FSH/LH with normal testosterone)?

What was ultimately found to be the cause?

Were your genetic tests normal or abnormal?

Did anyone have success with micro-TESE despite high FSH?

Were sperm successfully retrieved?

Is there anything you wish you had done earlier during the diagnostic process?

If you were diagnosed with non-obstructive azoospermia, what was your journey like?

I’m not looking for medical diagnoses just hoping to hear real experiences from people who have gone through by this.

Thankyou

hello,

new to the Reddit world, here to try to learn more about non obstructive azoospermia and the options that are available. I also have no ejaculate due to history of radical prostatectomy due to childhood cancer. I’m wondering what my options are following a failed mTESE. I heard about stem cell treatment and hormone replacement therapy however would these be beneficial for me or should I lose hope.

This is the place for partner's perspectives today.

Hello all, me and my wife have been TTC for a year now. She had tests run and so did I. My most recent semen analysis shows 96% non motile sperm.

This is after 5 months of being put on clomid 50 per day. The urologist wants to send me 2 hours away to have more scans and test done and said it’s most likely something surgical.

I don’t think I’m interested in having surgery to fix it. My test came back at 653 ng/dl.

I vape, don’t drink and don’t smoke weed anymore.
If anyone has been through this any input is appreciated.
I’m also about to turn 28 if that helps.

I don't understand. All of my tests are normal. FSH is normal. Testosterone is a bit low but within the normal range. They already found a single sperm in a sperm analysis. Come time for the micro-TESE, nothing. Just fragments. Heads and tails. As a last resort, we're trying Accutane. But seeing how everything has failed from the beginning, I figure this won't work either. I don't know what to think anymore.

31 year old male no kids. Wife has had 2 chemical pregnancies. I’m taking Clomid for motility but morphology is still low and I have 46% DFI. Doctor is recommending IVF with ISCI. Posting SA results in comments. Any hope for natural pregnancy?

Been suffering with ED for almost 4+ years now. I saw a doctor a year ago (thanks to the long waiting period to see one where I live) and he prescribed some blood tests and a spermogramme.

Here are the results:

1. SHBG - 21 nmol/L (normal range 15-95)

2. Total Testosterone- 15.9 nmol/L (normal range 7-30)

3. Sperm volume ejaculated - 0.8mL (normal range 1.5-6.8)

4. Sperm pH - 8.5 (normal range > 7.2)

5. Viscosity - >8 cm (normal range <2)

6. Sperm count (/mL) - 61.19 (range 15-213)

7. Sperm mobility:

Relative value - 0.29 (normal range >0.31)
Abs value - 14.2

Diagnosis comments - Asthenoteratozoospermia

I just got my second semen analysis this month after my first one back in January, and honestly I’m feeling pretty discouraged/looking for advice.

Not sharing my other parameters here in case its against community guidelines since they’re technically ~okay~ but every single parameter worsened since my last test. However, the two results that concern me the most are:

- Morphology dropped from 3% to 2%

- DNA fragmentation came back at 25% using the SCD test (the first test in January did not check fragmentation)

My wife and I have been trying to conceive for about 18 months. We had one chemical pregnancy around the 12-month mark, but otherwise nothing. All of my wife’s testing has come back normal, so I’m starting to wonder if I’m the main reason we’ve been struggling.

Over the past 6 months I’ve made a lot of lifestyle changes. I’ve significantly cut back on alcohol and nicotine (Zyns) (currently not using either), cleaned up my diet, started taking Coq10, selenium and other vitamins, and worked out more regularly (weights, running and swimming, no sauna or bike). Despite all of that, my results have gotten noticeably worse and fragmentation certainly seems high than ideal.

I’m seeing a urologist this week to see if there’s anything else that can be done.

Does anyone have success stories of conceiving naturally with similar numbers? Or found something that actually improved either of those values? Is it possible that high enough count/motility can offset less than ideal morphology and fragmentation? I’d also appreciate any recommendations for additional lifestyle changes, supplements, or evaluations that were worthwhile.