At Wilcox Fertility, we want to support you in your goal to become a parent. This is why we encourage reviewing the health of both male and female partners. According to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), infertility issues impact affects women and men equally. That means that approximately 33% of infertility concerns can be attributed to the female, approximately 33% of infertility issues can be attributed to male factors and one-third is attributed either to a combination of factors in both partners or unexplained infertility.
While some men initially seek insight from a urologist, here are some reasons to consider seeking Dr. Wilcox and his medical team’s assistance:
- If your female partner is under the age of 35 and you have been trying to conceive for at least one year
- If your female partner is over 35 and you have been trying to conceive for at least six months
- You have previously had chemotherapy treatments for cancer
- There is a history of genetic abnormalities in your family
- You were previously diagnosed with any infection impacting your reproductive organs (such as your testicles or prostate)
- You have previously taken any medications that may have impacted your fertility
After meeting with you, reviewing your overall health history and your family building goals, Dr. Wilcox may order an infectious disease test (HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, etc.) as well as a semen analysis. This entails producing a semen sample so that Dr. Wilcox can review three main factors: Sperm Count, Morphology (which is the shape of the sperm) and the Motility (which is how well the sperm swims).
There are more advanced tests that can be done such as genetic testing, testicular biopsy, ultrasound or additional blood work but a semen analysis is commonly the most insightful. Dr. Wilcox will review all of these results with you and your partner.
These are necessary steps to help pinpoint what may be the roadblock between you and parenthood. Once this is properly determined, there are options that address male infertility such as IVF with ICSI or employ a sperm retrieval procedure (only if necessary) and Dr. Wilcox will walk you and your partner through a carefully designed fertility treatment protocol to bring you one step closer to parenthood.
For more information on the numerous fertility treatments and family building options offered at Wilcox Fertility, please continue to review other areas of our site or to inquire about financial information, please don’t hesitate to contact us via our online form or call us at 626.657.9327.