Male Factor Infertility: Let’s Talk about it

Written by Emily using an interview provided by Adam

When we started our IVF journey, we started it because I knew that I (Emily) was infertile - my history of primary ovarian failure meant I had no viable eggs healthy enough to create and sustain a healthy pregnancy. 

What we didn’t expect was for Adam to also have subpar fertility. 

If you’ve already started your IVF journey, you know that they test everything - genetics, blood counts, electrolytes, ultrasounds, blah blah blah. So it was no surprise that they also called Adam up and requested that he complete a preliminary semen analysis for screening purposes only. 

When we got the results, we were a little taken aback. 

Adam received his results first via MyChart, and as someone not in the medical field, all the red flags scared him. “I felt panicked, guilty, disappointed, and confused. It was a lot at once, and it was made worse because I saw the results before speaking with our physician,” he shared. 

When Adam brought his results to me, I could tell something was wrong. He was visibly shaken, confused, and upset by the results. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel all those same emotions when I saw them for the first time as well. 

Adam has always been one of the uber-healthy types. The type to wake up and squeeze a 45 minute run in at 5 AM because he had a busy day and that was his only open window. The type to run a marathon while training for a triathlon, weight lift as stress relief, and second guess every fast food choice. 

He wasn’t (and still isn’t) a big drinker. Minimal sugar, limited alcohol intake, and no caffeine. He wasn’t on any prescription medications, didn’t have any notable medical history, and by all regards was as healthy as a mid-20’s white male could be. 

So his results? Confusing. 

What we didn’t know going into that test is just how common male factor infertility is, and how much of a sliding scale/spectrum male factor infertility can be. 

According to Resolve, The National Infertility Association, 30% of all couples experiencing infertility are experiencing exclusively male factor infertility. Yet, when you think back on all the prior conversations you’ve had with friends and family about fertility (or lack thereof), it almost always focuses on female fertility/infertility. Prior to our own experience, I had actually never had a conversation with anyone about male factor infertility. 

Adam felt the same way.

“It was very isolating, because I didn’t know anyone that openly talked about these things, experienced them personally, or had to do IVF because of male factor infertility. I didn’t really talk about it with anyone outside of the 2 of us, because I wasn’t sure how.” 

When we sat down and had the conversation with our doctor, he was able to provide the encouragement we needed. Adam’s version of male factor infertility was essentially just poor sperm quality across the board - low count, motility, morphology, etc. It was this “across the board” poor report that made us panic, but the doctor shared that this was actually best case scenario - Adam had viable sperm, they just needed to nit-pick which ones to use. 

After talking us through ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection - essentially using a needle to grab one tiny sperm and physically inject it into the egg), we felt a lot better about our situation. While we were trying to limit how much intervention we used to get from Point A to Point B, we also knew this was our best (if not only) chance at successfully creating viable embryos. 

Since that time, Adam has grown more comfortable and confident in talking about his results. “I wish it was a less taboo subject to talk about among men. I don’t feel embarrassed by my results anymore, I just think we need to be more open about it. The results don’t measure masculinity or your ability to be a good dad,” he shared. 

So what can we do in the future? 

“Talk about it. If you’re trying to have a family and not having luck - or even just curious about your results - ask for the semen analysis test. Get the answers, and don’t assume its “her” problem. There are things you can do to improve sperm quality, but at least in my case, you won’t stick with those things unless you know you need to.

But above all else - don’t panic. Let your physician walk you through your results before jumping to conclusions. It can be intimidating, facing those results and that diagnosis, but just take a breath and let the pro’s be your guide.”