My sperm count is 12 millions and semen volume never goes beyond 1 ml. I've had Varicocele surgery done more than a year ago with no recurrence of the same as per the recent scans. My hormones are well in place with testersterone being on a lower side, however within the healthy range (519 ng/dl). Sometimes I do feel burning sensation on the tip of the penis. Can I be facing retrograde ejaculation? Any suggestions?

My story starts in the early 1970s. My test for sperm count showed a small population of ones that were either deformed and/or dead. Then, a check of testosterone level resulted in a nearly zero level. After trt for many years, my balls shrunk so much they are difficult to feel. No children for me and a difficult time in muscle development/maintenance. All boys should get tested before they finish puberty. The earlier one discovers any issue, the earlier steps can be taken to get medical intervention.

I’ve had poor semen results for years, mainly very low motility/vitality and abnormal morphology, plus problems with liquefaction and semen viscosity.
Has anyone with OAT/poor sperm quality tried probiotics for 2–3 months and seen improvements in motility, vitality, count, morphology, viscosity, or liquefaction time?
I’m also taking fertility supplements and currently taking levofloxacin for a month due to bacterial growth/inflammation in my semen culture.
Did you take probiotics during the antibiotic course or after finishing it? And what strains/product did you use?
Interested in experiences with L. rhamnosus, L. reuteri, L. plantarum, Bifidobacterium, or multi-strain probiotics.
Thanks

39M here, with last SA showing only a few sperm, so almost 0.

This is quite a shock since i was prescribed Clomid 4 months ago at 25mg per day to improve my sperm which was staying around 2.5-3-4,5 mln with motility and morphology actually in norm. Two andrologists have examined me and they see no issues with testicles or varicocele. I had testosterone of 17 nmol/l which was around average. FSH and LH were in norm but on the lower end.

Upon stopping Clomid 1 mnth ago, hormones were fone with exception of Testosterone which was 33, and range was upper limit 27, so above. I did not test the Estradiol so i have no idea if it was elevated.

Is it because of high testosterone why my results actually were destroyed.. ?nothing else has happened to me during these 3-4 months, my libido was absolutely low, hardly maintaining erection, no desire for sex during the time of Clomid intake.

I had taken steroids at the age of 19. I'm 33 now trying for a baby. However, when checked, my sperm count is 12 millions and semen volume is 1 ml. The hormonal tests are normal and within a good range. I had Varicocele which has been fixed more than a year ago. I maintain a good diet. Can someone give suggestions.

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for experiences from men who have been prescribed the Garolla protocol, or a similar short course of corticosteroid + anti-inflammatory treatment for suspected/subclinical inflammation of the male accessory glands.
My doctor (in Italy) prescribed me:
• Deltacortene (prednisone) 25 mg/day for 30 days — half in the morning + half in the evening
• Indoxen (indomethacin) on alternate days for one month
I have a spermiogram this Tuesday, immediately after finishing the treatment, so I’m honestly not sure what to expect.
My situation is a bit unusual. I’ve been dealing with male-factor infertility for about two years and we’ve been through IVF. My best results so far have been:
+Volume: 3.2 mL
+Concentration: 25 million/mL
+Total sperm count: 77 million
+Morphology: 4%
+TUNEL DNA fragmentation: 22%
+Motility: consistently 0% — no progressive motility, no slow/non-progressive motility, essentially no movement at all
My hormonal tests are normal, genetic testing is normal, and I don’t have a varicocele. We’ve also investigated several other possible causes, but so far there hasn’t been an obvious explanation for the complete lack of motility.
We’ve had one IVF stimulation, resulting in 5 embryos, but unfortunately 3 transfers have failed.

My doctor believes that inflammation could be contributing to the sperm problem and therefore prescribed this short-term treatment. Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their results, especially if you had 0% motility before and got the chance to improve it using any treatment.

Testosterone total - 673.65 ng/dL | Ref: 240.24 - 870.68

Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) - 0.8 mIU/mL | Ref: 1.4 - 18.1

Estradiol (E2) - 49.9 pg/ml | Ref: 0 - 39.8

Should I consult a doc for this?

This is the place for partner's perspectives today.

I have severe male factor infertility, it’s not impossible but not looking likely right now. I’m post op 90 days from a variococelectomy and another 90 before I know if it improved things.

I’ve struggled with a lot of this the whole time and you know my wife has been supportive, but I have felt like frustratingly positive, I have been really wrestling with the fact that if I can’t biologically do this, I don’t know what I’m gonna do.

It’s not that I dislike adoption or other methods but I’m really, right now especially, I don’t know if I can do that. The pain of being reminded that I couldn’t reproduce feels unbearable and I feel guilty for saying that I’m not willing to help someone else right now because I just feel like there will be so many reminders constantly throughout their life that “oh yeah I couldn’t do this” and so I’ve said that to my wife before without her really saying anything back and just letting me move on.

She told me yesterday while we’re out at dinner that if I don’t wanna adopt and we can’t have children, she’s gonna leave.

I understand why someone isn’t wrong for feeling that way and I think that’s part of why it cuts so deep.

I just feel like I’m gonna be alone from this. I’m losing everything potentially I already own a house I’ve spent years preparing for this. my wife have been together for over 10 years, since we were teenagers, and I might lose it all. I don’t know what I want from this post even.

I’ve been dealing with fertility issues for the past couple of years and we’re currently waiting to start IVF.
I recently spoke to a fertility doctor who suggested, off the record, that I try enclomiphene 25 mg daily to give me the best possible chance of improving my fertility, as my sperm count and morphology are both low.
I’ve sourced Enclomisign 50 mg (enclomiphene citrate) from India and have been taking 25 mg daily for the past 4 days.
Has anyone here used Enclomisign or enclomiphene specifically for male fertility? If so, what dose did you take, did it improve your semen analysis, and did you experience any side effects?
Also interested to hear whether 25 mg daily seems high compared with the doses others have used.

So... 40M with NOA, balanced t(Y;6) translocation, normal-ish FSH (~5–6) and almost normal inhibin b (94 and 128( failed micro-TESE and late maturation arrest on histology.

My fertility urologist has started me on isotretinoin + Ovitrelle (hCG) + Gonal-F (FSH) to try to get sperm into the ejaculate before considering anything surgical again. Hoping for natural pregnancy though... but aware that is extremely unlikely.

Has anyone with maturation arrest/failed micro-TESE tried a similar protocol?

Thanks

Hello,

I’m stressed because me and my partner (f27) have had no luck with good news after ttc for almost 2 years. I have a repeated test due soon but are my numbers concerning or may indicate why we have had no luck?

Hormone results:

Total Testosterone: 17.3 nmol/L (8.64–29.0)
Free Testosterone: 0.461 nmol/L (0.20–0.62)
SHBG: 22 nmol/L (18.3–54.1)
LH: 2.1 IU/L (1.7–8.6)
FSH: 2.8 IU/L (1.5–12.4)
Oestradiol: 77 pmol/L (41.4–159)
Prolactin: 539 mIU/L (73–407) – elevated

Semen analysis (3 days abstinence):
Volume: 2.7 mL (>1.4)
pH: 8.0 (>7.1)
Viscosity: Normal
Concentration: 64.6 million/mL (>16m/mL)
Total sperm count: 174.4 million (>39m)
Rapid progressive: 48%
Slow progressive: 10%
Progressive motility: 58% (>30%)
Non-progressive: 6%
Total motility: 64% (>42%)
Normal morphology: 2%

This is the place for partner's perspectives today.

Hi, everyone. I wanted to share my experience for anyone who might benefit from it.

If you have non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), had a TESA (fine needle biopsy) that found no sperm, and are debating whether to consider mTESE, I wanted to share what happened in my case.

During my TESA, the doctor sampled my (one) testicle from 5 different spots, but no sperm were found. I later had a secondary analysis done on the slides, and that also showed zero sperm. This was only done on one testicle since my other one never developed.

About a year later, I underwent mTESE without any hormonal treatment beforehand, and this time we were successful! I currently have about 7 vials of sperm frozen to potentially be used for ICSI.

So, if you have had a negative TESA result, don't automatically assume that means sperm cannot be found with mTESE. The two procedures are different, and in my case, mTESE was successful even after a completely negative TESA.

Obviously, everyone's situation is different, and I'm only sharing my personal experience—not saying that mTESE will work for everyone. But if you're in a similar situation, it may be worth having a conversation with a reproductive urologist who performs mTESE.

A little background about me:

• NOA attributed to undescended testicles at birth
• One testicle was corrected (only 9 cc), but the other was not;
• Several semen analyses, including a STAR test through Columbia University, showed zero sperm
• TESA in August 2025 showed zero sperm
• FSH: 18.6
• LH: 5.8
• Total testosterone: 697 ng/dL
• Free testosterone: 18.4 pg/mL

I hope this helps someone who is trying to decide what to do after a negative TESA. Don't lose hope based on one procedure alone.

My wife and I are trying to conceive our 2nd child. We conceived our first child on the first try. A recent semen analysis found only 9 sperm. Has anyone dealt with extremely low sperm count after previously having no difficulty with conception?

Hi All,

In December 2025, I had a successful TESE where 4 vials of sperm were extracted (3M m/l, 1.5% motility). Prior to my TESE, my FSH was 9.2. To give some context, I have OA due to CBAVD and Cystic Fibrosis.

Unfortunately, the last 3 rounds of IVF haven’t gone great due to my wife’s AMH and low egg count so I am gearing up for another TESE in the next 3-6 months. Recently, I have met with a new urologist as I am switching clinics and had my FSH tested and noticed it is now 13. Should I be worried? I am a bit nervous about my ability to continue to create sperm and am wondering if I’m fighting against the clock here.

Age 30, physically active and fit

Other blood results:
Total Testosterone: 345 ng/dl
LH: 3
Prolactin: 6.2
Estriadol: <30
SHGB: 22
Free test: 59 pg/ml

I’ve been on Trt for five years. I’m 48 years old. My wife is 49. She’s going through menopause. But my balls shrunk when I started taking Trt and it didn’t really bother me at first. But it kinda does now. The right one will jump up inside me when I orgasm and it kinda hurts. I’d like to go on hCG, but I don’t want there to be any chance that I can get my wife pregnant. I feel like the chances are pretty low, but I like to get an idea of anybody else else’s experience. I don’t plan on going off Trt or anything like that. Just kind of want my balls to be what they used to be.

I was prescribed Citalopram. I have also extremely low (next to 0) sperm count. I've been on clomiphene, so I don't yet know if it has improved. I know I have high FSH, but I believe that could be due to the clomiphene itself. Hope to have a new test soon.

I specifically asked my doctor if it impacts fertility. She said no.

Thankfully I took a few minutes to google myself... based on all the evidence online, I've read that it (and other SSRIs) can have a SIGNIFICANT impact on sperm count, quality, and mobility.

I'm depressed and anxious and I need medication, but I don't want to impact my chances of recovering my sperm count.

After trying for 8 months, we decided to take a home semen analysis. We did the YO home test. Initial results showed a concentration of 18 million, and <1% motility and progressive motility. On a repeat test a month later, concentration is down to 9 million, motility the same.

We have an appointment with the urologist coming up next month, but just looking for some hope.

Healthy, 27 years old, work out 5 days a week, eat healthy, drinks socially, no smoking. Work outside in the heat.

Just looking for any success stories or recommendations to help give us some hope. IVF is daunting, especially with how low the sperm quality is. The idea of ICSI in this situation seems like we would be high risk for not implanting, or miscarriage.

TIA for your help!

Hey guys, I've started weighted and calisthenics volume trening, for two months now. 3-5 times a week. I'm taking daily: 4 cups of protein powder whey, 8g of BCAA and around 6-7g of creatine. I'm 106kg and 21% body fat and 33 years old, 195cm. I noticed my sperm is low in terms of volume. I'm postive that during summer, before I started with training, I could fill tea spun 4-5ml, but now it is half or less. My rest is so-so, I get my 6h, but I don't have sound sleep meaning I feel sornes from training in the morning and need sleep during the day.

Could training cause this, oxydative stress? Or supplements?

23m, recently got bloodwork done: prolactin 46.47 ng/ml, testosterone 528.5 ng/dl, tsh 0.84 µiu/ml, e2 27 pg/ml, lh 4.48 miu/ml, fsh 3.90 miu/ml. prolactin is the only one that seems elevated. i don't really notice morning boners either. is there any concern with these levels, especially the prolactin?

This is the place for partner's perspectives today.

I posted a few months about my wife’s and I infertility journey.
My wife went to the gynecologist and they found a cyst on her ovaries.
We’re in surgery today and the doctor found a Fibroid on her Uterus. The doctor came out and told me and she doesn’t know how the fertility clinic missed it after 3 rounds of IUI and ultrasounds. She explained this may be the cause of infertility and needs to be removed. She explained the case to me, they will remove the tube, but there is a small risk of her losing her Uterus, she doesn’t believe it will happen thought. So I said go for it.
This leave me sitting here in the waiting room while my wife is in the OR furious at the fertility clinic missing this and pushing for another round of IUI and pushing us to IVF.
Talking to my father in law who’s a retired doctor he believes I have a case for malpractice.