I have extremely low sperm count. Myself and my wife are also pretty darned poor, and our insurance does not cover IVF. She was going in on Thursday for a pre-IVF procedure - checking to see if she has ovarian cysts for the "peace of mind" of the doctor. This afternoon, they sent us the cost estimate for this - by their own account - 10-minute check: $9,000.

IVF itself was already going to be immensely expensive. And this is essentially like squandering our desperately small funding for an entire cycle so that they can check a box - it isn't pursuant towards baby-making; just an extra step that no woman who conceived naturally would ever have done. It's just another way for them to a) throw up artificial walls, and b) rake in money from the peasantry.

So I said no. My wife is just devastated; I'm just devastated. But I'm a solid no on proceeding. It was one thing to be paying an enormous amount of money for something for which there was a tangible need; it's another to fork over the price of an IVF round so they can stick a camera inside her just to make them feel good. Because, again, no woman married to a normal man - a man without low T - would be having this done. In that situation, she'd just get knocked up; she wouldn't have some "oh, is every little duck lined up in a perfect row?" test that cost as much as a used car.

I just no longer can accede to this extortion - billionaire hospitals employing millionaire doctors getting wealthy on human misery. Why would I even want to bring a child into this world?

Title: Abnormal Semen Analysis at Age 30 — Need Advice

I'm 30 years old. My semen analysis shows:

Volume: 1.5 mL

Sperm count: 10 million/mL

Progressive motility: 20%

Normal morphology: 5%

Pus cells: Plenty

Hyperviscous semen

Impression: Oligo-astheno-spermia

I don't smoke or drink alcohol.

My questions:

Can this condition be cured?

Can sperm count and motility improve?

What tests and treatments do you recommend?

Should I get a semen culture?

Can I become a father naturally?

I'd appreciate simple, practical advice. Thank you!

Hi everyone,
I’m 30 years old and have been diagnosed with azoospermia, likely non-obstructive.
My test results and history:
● Semen analysis repeated multiple times, with a volume of around 8–10 ml, but no sperm found even after centrifugation.
● Hormone results: FSH 4.79, LH 6.55, total testosterone 267, and prolactin 182.54 (as reported by my lab).
● Ultrasound showed normal-sized testes, with a mild right varicocele and a moderate left varicocele.
● TRUS showed no obstruction.
● I underwent TESA, but no sperm were found.
● My doctor suggested micro-TESE, but I’m hesitant because of the cost and want to understand my options first.

I’d appreciate hearing from anyone with similar experiences:
1. Has anyone with normal FSH and normal-sized testes had successful sperm retrieval through micro-TESE after a failed TESA?
2. Did genetic testing or a testicular biopsy help identify the cause?
3. Are there any evidence-based treatments or lifestyle changes that helped?
4. Which tests should I consider before deciding on micro-TESE?
I’m looking for genuine experiences, advice, and hope from people who have been through something similar. Thank you!

I was severely overweight
Semen analysis came with cryptozoospermia
Started Mounjaro, proviron, aridimex, clomid (alternate day)
Lost 15 kgs
New semen analysis 3 months later came with azoospermia

I feel like the sampling environment is not pleasing - I normally do not masturbate and I share a good sexual life with my wife which is pleasurable for both - does that impact the sample?
With such results - is there a route to fertility and ultimately conceiving?
These are topics that one cannot talk openly and it’s very stressful

**So after stopping TRT a year ago, doing a heavy PCT. I then went all natural and had a stressful summer. Currently trying to conceive. I started the below supplements just over 3 months ago. This was after having hepatitis and kidney stones.**
**My serum testosterone was 16 nmol/L 8 weeks ago. Age 41, weight 94kg but waist is 33/34”. So not overweight. A full blood check is being done tomorrow.**

**I started cycling roughly 130/150 miles a week 6 weeks ago, and weight training once twice a week. Diet is very clean and alcohol is maybe a couple beers once or twice a month.**

**Had a fertility test 2 weeks ago and below are the numbers.**

**My question is, what are people’s thoughts on these results? As the doctor has said she wants to see the 3% improve and volume, plus a few other markers.**

**And what could be done to improve numbers?**

**Semen sample volume**
**1.7 mL**

**Sperm concentration**
**71.00 10\*9/L**

**Total sperm count**
**120.7 10\*6**

**Percent rapid progressve sperm**
**24.0 %**

**Percent slow progressive sperm**
**33.0 %**

**Sperm forward progression**
**57 %**

**Percent non-progressive sperm**
**7 %**

**Sperm motility**
**64 %**

**Percentage non-motile sperm**
**36 %**

**Percentage normal sperm count**
**3 %**

Supplements: (each morning)
25mg Enclmoniphene
Milk thistle
Spirulina
ACV (apple cider vinegar)
Lions mane
NMN
Selenium
B6
5mg Cialis
NAC
Magnesium
Co-Q10
ALC
Zinc
Vit C
Blueberry extract
D3+K2
B12
Folate
Vit E
Boron

**Title: Can Low Sperm Count and Motility Be Improved Naturally or With Treatment?**

I'm 30 years old, and my recent semen analysis showed:

Volume: 1.5 mL

Sperm concentration: 10 million/mL

Total sperm count: approximately 15 million

Progressive motility: 20%

Total motility: 50%

Normal morphology: 5%

Pus cells: Plenty

Hyperviscous semen

Liquefaction time: 30 minutes

I don't smoke or drink alcohol, and I have no testicular pain.

I'm looking for practical advice from people with similar results or relevant medical knowledge.

**My questions:**

Has anyone improved similar results?

What medical tests helped identify the cause?

Are there effective treatments for low sperm count and motility?

What should I do first about the pus cells and high viscosity?

Any genuine experiences or evidence-based suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you!

5 failed IVF cycles (Day 3/4 arrest). Doctor recommends double donor. Looking for advice.

I am 46M and my wife is 44F. We have completed 5 IVF cycles with severe embryo arrest. In 4 out of 5 cycles, no embryos survived past Day 3. In our first cycle, one reached Day 6 but was chromosomally abnormal.
For our recent cycle, we tried TESE due to my high DNA fragmentation, but the embryos still arrested before Day 4. My recent analysis showed a 46% DNA fragmentation rate (132 degraded, 6 fragmented out of a 300 count).
Our doctor is now recommending a double donor. Is there anything else we should explore or test before taking this step, or is this the most realistic path forward given our ages? My IVF doctor strongly saying that supplement will not help in my situation. Thanks in advance.

I’m a 29-year-old male experiencing reduced libido and weaker erections compared to a few years ago.
I recently got my hormone levels tested, and here are the results:

Blood Test Results:
Total Testosterone: 302.2 ng/dL (Ref: 280–800)
LH: 12.28 mIU/mL (Ref: 1.50–9.30) — High
FSH: 9.03 mIU/mL (Ref: 1.40–18.10)
Prolactin: 4.57 ng/mL (Normal)
TSH: 1.018 µIU/mL (Normal)
The blood sample was collected around 12:30 PM, so I’m aware that my morning testosterone might be different.

Symptoms:
Reduced sexual desire compared to 2–3 years ago.
I still get morning erections, but they’re not fully hard.
Even during masturbation, erections are usually only around 50–60% firm.
Reduced energy and motivation to exercise compared to earlier.
From what I’ve read, elevated LH with borderline testosterone could potentially indicate compensated hypogonadism or reduced testicular responsiveness, but I understand that a single test isn’t enough to diagnose anything.
I’m planning to consult an endocrinologist/urologist and repeat my testosterone and LH tests in the morning.

A few questions:
Has anyone in their 20s or 30s experienced similar testosterone and LH levels?
Did your repeat morning testosterone results differ significantly?
Did your doctor identify any underlying cause for elevated LH with borderline testosterone?
If you experienced low libido and weak erections, what helped you improve?
Were you able to improve your symptoms without TRT?
I’m not looking to jump into TRT or self-medicate. I’m mainly trying to understand what might be going on and hear from people who’ve experienced something similar.
Would really appreciate any insights or personal experiences. Thanks!

Total sperm count is 40 million, 5ml volume, 8 million per ml (on the lower side) and 1% morphology and 50% of the sample was moving both of us are in our mid to late 20s. We haven’t started properly trying yet. Doctor wants us to try and to loose weight.

Any advice or success stories are very welcome.

Was on TRT for like 4 years and didn’t realize I would stop making sperm because of it. I know, I guess I’m dumb but I just had super low T and my dr said I needed it so I stupidly blindly listened.

First Semen Analysis in April, zero sperm.

Second in July, sperm but so few they could t quantify it.

Third today and :

Semen volume 2.2 mL ≥1.4 Normal
Sperm concentration 30.6 million/mL ≥16 Good
Total sperm count 67.32 million ≥39 Good
Total motility 45% ≥42% Normal
Progressive motility 41% ≥30% Good
Morphology 4% ≥4% Normal, at cutoff
Total motile sperm 30.29 million — Encouraging

I’m back in the game. My protocol was 50mg clomiohene every other day for the first 90 days. Then adding in 1000iu hcg 3x weekly in addition for the last 90 and bang that seemed to work.

If you’re dealing with a similar thing I just share this cause when I got the first result I was shocked and scared it wouldn’t come back, but give it time and get on a protocol with your doctor and maybe it’ll help!

EDIT: for reference I just turned 39 this month

I’m navigating non-obstructive azoospermia after a failed Micro-TESE. My karyotype is normal (46,XY) and genetic testing showed no Y-chromosome microdeletions. My doctors have recommended trying a second Micro-TESE, giving it about a 50% success rate. I’d love to get feedback on whether another Micro-TESE makes sense as the next step or if there are other paths we should look into.

Anybody use Trental 400 as supplement to increase motility? Urologist give me that 2 cpr a day. Anybody has experience on this ? and motility get better?

31M, struggling with infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss. Mentally exhausted and desperately looking for some hope.

My results:

- DFI: 35.67%

- ROS: 49%

- Testosterone: 0.938 ng/ml

- Sperm count: 63 million/ml

- Varicocele: Grade IV

I've been taking Maxzoha-L and Fertisure-M for 3 months. Next week, our doctor will decide whether we should proceed with IVF.

I'm scared and constantly wondering if there's still a chance to improve naturally.

Has anyone reduced DFI without surgery or achieved pregnancy/IVF success with similar results?

Please share your experiences, even a small positive story would mean a lot right now. 🙏

Hey guys,

I don't know if anyone remembers, but there's an old 90s comedy starring Arnold Schwarzenegger called Junior. In it, he plays a male doctor who gets pregnant via an embryo transfer.

Back then, since I was just a kid back in the 90s, I had no real interest in pregnancy or childbirth. It just felt unfamiliar and awkward to me, so I quickly changed the channel and forgot about the movie for a long time.

But years later, after dealing with severe Male Factor Infertility (virtually azoospermic), I happened to catch it again. This time, I couldn't take my eyes off the screen.

Seeing a man take daily injections, endure medication side effects, go through embryo transfer, and experience fear in unfamiliar medical settings... it hit me like a ton of bricks. It felt almost identical to what my wife had been going through during our IVF journeys.

Of course, it’s just a movie. Biological men still can’t carry a pregnancy; that weight always passes through a woman’s body.

The diagnosis started with me—virtually azoospermic. But over the years, it was my wife who offered up her body for 10 IVF cycles and 5 miscarriages.

We often say "we are in this together," but as husbands, we need to remember that the physical burden is never equal. Our real job starts with keeping pace with our exhausted partners and actively turning her pain into our shared pain.

If you ever get a chance, maybe give Junior a rewatch with your partner. It’s lighthearted, but it hits differently when you’ve walked this road.

Processing all of this led me to document our entire story from a husband's perspective—a record of how a childish man slowly grew up through 10 cycles and 5 losses before holding our miracle.

Wishing every single one of you on this thread the very best outcome. Hang in there, brothers.

1 am a 21-year-old male patient with bilateral undescended testes. Yesterday I visited a urologist for my reports. Instead of counseling me privately, the doctor discussed my most sensitive and painful diagnosis - including words like "you will become not a man if testicles are removed" - in front of 5-6 female students to teach them, without taking my consent.

‎>

‎> For any medical student or doctor reading this: A patient is not a teaching specimen. Before you use someone's body to teach, please take consent. Before you use shaming words like "na-mard", remember that a 21-year-old is listening and his whole life feels shattered.

‎>

‎> We need to talk about medical privacy, consent for teaching, and respectful language. Manhood is not defined by testicles. It is defined by hormones, treatment, and humanity. I request all hospitals to please counsel such sensitive cases in private.

‎>

‎> This is not to defame anyone, but to ensure the next 21-year-old does not feel humiliated like I did.

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for experiences from people who have dealt with male-factor infertility, particularly high sperm DNA fragmentation (DFI) despite a relatively good sperm count and motility. DFI 25% is somewhere on edge of moderate.

Here are the semen analysis results:
Semen parameters (33hr abstinence)
Volume: 1.2 mL (below WHO reference of 1.4 mL)
pH: 7.2
Liquefaction time: 20 minutes
Viscosity: Normal
Agglutination/aggregation: Present (Grade 2) - this was detected for the first time. This was not present on previous test
Leukocytes: 0–1/HPF
Cell debris: Present

Sperm analysis 33hr abstinence
Concentration: 51 million/mL
Total sperm count: 61.2 million
Total motility: 56%
Progressive motility: 49%
Non-progressive motility: 7%
Non-motile: 44%
Normal morphology: 2% (below the WHO reference of 4%)

I don’t drink nor smoke. I have little stressful life. We’re undergoing IVF with ICSI, and I’m trying to understand what might contribute to high sperm DNA fragmentation when sperm concentration and progressive motility are reasonably good.
A few questions for those who have experienced something similar:
If your sperm count and motility were good but your DFI was high, did you find out what was causing it?
I’d especially appreciate experiences from people who had similar semen parameters and subsequently received a DFI result. We always had excellent fertilisation in previous ivf cycle

If zymot can help, can this number really drop with zymot? If yes, can it go below 15%

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences

• Abstinence: 5 days (Reference range: 3 - 5 days)
• Appearance: Opalescent
• Liquefaction: Complete
• Debris: ++
• Epithelial cells (Shedding cells): +
• Spermatogenic cells: Absent
• Volume: 2.8 mL (5th percentile: 1.4 mL)
• pH: 7.6 (Reference range: >= 7.2)
• Viscosity: Increased
• Agglutinates: Absent
• Leukocytes: < 1 $10^6$/mL (Reference range: < 1)
• Sperm concentration: 38.7 $10^6$/mL (5th percentile: 16.0)
• Total sperm count per ejaculate: 108.3 $10^6$/ejaculate (5th percentile: 39.0)
• Sperm Morphology Analysis
• Normal forms: 3 % (5th percentile: 4%)
• Abnormal forms: 97 %

MOTILITY

• Rapid Progressive (PV): 3 %
• Slow Progressive (PL): 18 %
• Total Progressive (PV+PL): 21 % (5th percentile: 30%)
• Non-Progressive (NP): 11 % (5th percentile: 1%)
• Immotile (Absent): 68 % (5th percentile: 20%)
• Total Motility (PV+PL+NP): 32 % (5th percentile: 42%)
• Vitality: 50 % (5th percentile: 54%)

Can you tell me how is it ? normal conceive is possible?
I already book a urologist today.

Hey there, I'm sorry you're going through this, I recently went through it too. I have undiagnosable, non obstructive azoospermia.

After years of failed treatments and huge out of pocket bills, ending in a failed micro TESE, my wife and I have agreed to throw in the towel. My wife's fertility is fine, so we're moving forward with donor sperm. We don't want to have our family when we're old, so it's time to move on.

It's a shitty thing to be faced with, I hated the idea of using a donor before my surgery, but after only one poorly formed, unusable sperm of mine was found, it was the only option left that made sense for us.

We've been ready for a family, and the ONLY thing standing in our way is my DNA not working. Now we get to move forward in peace knowing we did all we could. I truly felt like an enormous weight was lifted once I accepted my fate. It's like you get to go back to normal life. I felt at peace for the first time in 5 years.

I've been blessed with an awesome wife who's been patiently supporting me through this process. It's not fair for me to make her wait anymore, and not fair to our kids to have old parents.

There will ALWAYS be another treatment out there, most doctors aren't going to tell you to stop. You could spend the rest of your life trying and draining your bank account and still get no results. Just don't lose yourself on a never ending chase. There will almost never be a hard cut off, the decision to stop will have to come from you.

I didn't want to hear it either when people told me this stuff. But now that I'm here, I get it.

We all have our own different paths to take, so do whatever you gotta do to be at peace. If you do keep trying, I wish you the very best of luck.

One way or another, happiness is waiting for you ❤️

This is the place for partner's perspectives today.

My wife and I have had two miscarriages, both before week 7. We just got my semen analysis and DNA fragmentation results back and I’m trying to make sense of them. Would appreciate any insights from people who’ve been through something similar.

Semen Assessment
• Colour: Normal
• Viscosity: Normal
• Volume: 3.2 mL (ref > 2.0 mL)
• pH: 7.2 (ref 7.2–7.8)
• Concentration: 54.0 × 10⁶/mL (ref > 20.0)
• Progressive motility: 47% (ref > 50%)
• Viability: 60% (ref > 50%)
• Total Motile Count: 81.2 million (ref > 20)

Morphology (Strict criteria)
• Normal morphology: 1% (ref ≥ 4%)
• Prop. Amorphous: 2%
• Prop. Abnormal Heads: 79%
• Prop. Tail Defect: 18%
• Epithelial cells / Leukocytes / Spermatids: 0

DNA Fragmentation Assay
• DFI: 21.05% (High – reference < 15%)

Wife has PCOS and these results don’t look so great from what I’ve been able to google. So looking for any insight on where to go from here.

male 23

CONTEXT: i have pretty low semen volume (i think) im in good physical shape i've been resistance training for 5 years consistently 18-22% body fat i also train mma 4 times a week(beginner) my bloodpanel is normal just my hemoglobin is lowish 13.2 g/dl hematocrit 40% and MCV of 78.7 fL and MCH of 25.7 everything else is normal if not optimal total T is 824ng/dl, Free T 13.4ng/dl, Bioavailable T 315ng/dl, SHBG is 56nmol/L i dont have Ed, NO the volume didn't drop recently its been this much for 2-3 years from what i remember in my teens i also didn't have a ''HUGE" load and ive always been a dripper not a shooter

MEDICATIONS: i take 300mg xl bupropion, 2.5mg oral minoxidil, 0.5 mg finasteride (my dad is bald i wanted to get ahead before i started losing hair plux i wanted to grow a beard), 5-10 mg memantine, 25mg b6, 10,000iu d3 with 200mcg k2(every other day)

BLOOD PRESSURE: I have a baseline bp on the lower end

86.5 bpm - 106/63 mmHg

ADDITIONAL CONTEXT: 2 years back my morning wood was f'ing crazy it was really hard id get throbbing, skin splitting morning woods i was kinda annoyed at the time lol dont get that level of morning woods anymore now it is just semi erect for ig 30-50min, no i do not feel pain after normal ejaculation though i normally did feel pain 4-5 years back when i used to edge for 1-3 hours i would just 1 load for 1.5-3 hours i felt the pain in my stomach, knees lower, back and testis the pain was like when someone punches you in stomach i think it was normal considering the activity and it wasn't bad either it kinda felt goodish (i also had a extreme porn addiction and in the later years i was getting into some f'ed up shit i started realizing shit is getting out of hand and have made real progress since (if i feel the urge i just yank one out without any material)

Please help im freaking out i dont understand why the f*ck ts is happening to me im fit, young and healthy of all the people it could have happened to why me i doesn't make sense considering my background also i dont smoke used to vape a year back, smoked for a year from 7 to 8th grade. i know its just an image but lmk what you think and yes it was the entire ejaculate (why cant i post image?) ill try posting in comments

Have a varicocele, did a preemptive semen analysis. 110M total count, 3% morph, 50% progressive motility, etc.

July 2024 TTC - 110M Total Motil

After 1 year TTC:

October 2025 -IUI 16M (6ML volume, 8M, 31% progressive mot)

December 2025 IUI 39M (6ML volume, 14M Conc, 37% progressive motil

August 2026 - IVF -16.6M (4ML volume, 8M conc, 30% progressive motil)

Sep 26 -DNA Frag test 8.57M Total progressive motil (3.3 M/mL / 5.9 mL/54%/44% = 8.57M progressive motile.

All morphology at 3%, except Seo 26 said 1%.

October 2026 - IVF - Toil Motil sperm: 0M (4M volume, .226M/ml conc, 4 ml volume, 0% Motility, 0% progressive motility)

The doctor said they were able to find enough sperm (10) that were alive and moving for ICSI for the 10 mature eggs retrieved so hopefully this cycle isn't completely lost to me....

All work has been focused on my wife. They've continued to dismiss male factor considerations. I understand because IVF is likely the solution anyway -

I got an ultrasound in September in prep to speaking to a urologist in November....Has anyone else had something this major happen? It was the biggest gut punch today on IVF fertilization day suddenly I have like no sperm. Low was bad but now it's catastrophic...

I had flu/covid vaccine combo on 10/10, which knocked me out on 10/11. Other than that - no hot tubs, heat, etc.

I stopped taking statins last month (PCP rec), started fertileaid,

normal weight, healthy, workout 4-5 times a day, do vitamines, don't smoke, cut THC in 2024, drink 2-4 times a week.

I've been stressed at work, haven't slept enough im sure- but im just so devastated. Has anyone had this kind of thing happen to them and it turned out to be one off?

At this point I'm going to push for embold procedure on varricocele.

In late September, I suddenly developed high fever, chills, severe lower back pain and burning urination. My urine test showed elevated white blood cells, but the culture came back negative.

I was prescribed nitrofurantoin for 7 days, followed by trimethoprim for another 7 days when my urinary symptoms returned.

Thankfully, my fever and urinary problems have now resolved. My urine flow is strong, and I still get normal erections.

However, my ejaculation has changed significantly.

My semen is much thinner and watery compared with before. Ejaculation is still forceful, but the stream is extremely narrow, almost like a syringe.

Most concerning, I can ejaculate but feel absolutely no pleasurable orgasm sensation.

These changes started around the illness and have continued despite improvement in my other symptoms.

Has anyone experienced watery semen, a narrow ejaculation stream or ejaculation without orgasm pleasure after a UTI or prostatitis?

Did you recover fully? How long did it take, and what actually helped?

My wife and I are hoping to start a family, so this has been really upsetting and making me depressed.

We have a gp appointment booked for family planning but in the meantime I would especially appreciate hearing from anyone who experienced similar symptoms and recovered.