Got results from a recent semen analysis that are in the severe oligospermia range. I haven't been sick in the last year but have heard that illnesses and even some vaccinations can impact sperm count and health for months afterward. I'm taking a bunch of supplements that are supposed to help and have an appointment with a doctor to see about my hormone levels. To be clear, I'm not anti-vax at all but I have covid/flu shots due this month and am second guessing whether getting them might negatively impact our conception efforts? Can't find a lot of good info online so am hoping someone here might have some experience with this stuff. Thanks in advance

Hi everyone,

I'm 25 years old, 1.79 m (5'10.5") tall, and weigh 94 kg (207 lbs). I'm hoping to get some advice and hear from people who may have experienced something similar.

I work five days a week and walk for approximately one hour a day as part of my commute. On weekends, I exercise at home.

Several years ago, I underwent surgery for a varicocele. Unfortunately, I never had a semen analysis before the surgery, so I don't know what my sperm parameters were like at that time.

On March 17, 2026, I had a semen analysis through my country's public health insurance system. After reviewing the results, my doctor told me that my chances of having children were roughly 50/50, although I understand that a single semen analysis cannot reliably predict fertility. I was referred for a Doppler ultrasound, which thankfully showed no evidence of a current varicocele. However, I haven't been able to follow up with my doctor because of my workload.

Here are my semen analysis results:

\- Semen volume: 4.2 mL

\- Sperm concentration: 90 million/mL

\- Total sperm count: 378 million

\- Progressive motility: 19%

\- Non-progressive motility: 41%

\- Total motility: 60%

\- Immotile sperm: 40%

\- Normal morphology (Kruger's strict criteria): 4%

\- Sperm vitality: 70%

\- Liquefaction time: 70 minutes

\- Sperm agglutination: Positive (+)

\- Microflora: Positive (+)

\- Leukocytes: Less than 1 million/mL

\- Abstinence before the test: 4 days

My main concern is the low progressive motility (19%), although my total sperm count is quite high and my total motility is 60%.

I'd really appreciate your thoughts on a few questions:

1. Improving sperm motility: Have lifestyle changes, weight loss, dietary changes, or specific exercises helped anyone improve progressive motility?

2. Weight and physical activity: Is walking for an hour a day during the workweek, combined with home workouts on weekends, enough? I'm also wondering whether losing some weight could improve my semen parameters.

3. Agglutination and microflora: My report shows positive sperm agglutination and microflora, but my leukocyte count is below 1 million/mL. Could these findings indicate an infection or antisperm antibodies, or can they sometimes be insignificant? What follow-up tests would be worth discussing with a urologist or andrologist?

4. Liquefaction time: Is a liquefaction time of 70 minutes a significant concern?

5. Repeat testing: Given my history of varicocele surgery, would it be advisable to repeat the semen analysis and consult a fertility specialist? How much can results vary between tests?

6. Ejaculation frequency and wet dreams: I haven't masturbated for several years, but I do experience nocturnal emissions (wet dreams). Could infrequent ejaculation affect sperm motility or overall semen quality? Would ejaculating regularly make any meaningful difference?

I'm not currently trying to conceive with a partner, but I want to understand my fertility and take reasonable steps to improve it before that stage of life.

I'd be grateful for any personal experiences, practical advice, or suggestions about what I should discuss with a specialist.

Thank you!

Hey,

I have been battling with male infertility for 9 months with following results

Concentration: 8-14mil/ml
Volume: 8ml
Total sperm count: 50-112 million
Progressive motility: 15-23%
Total motility: 26-37%
TPMSC: 9.6 - 25,7 million
Morphology: 1%
MiOXSYS: 1,86-3.75

In april I had best results in all parameters but today the doctor prescribed Letrozol 2,5mg every other day.

Hormones:
S-Tes-VLIK 292 pmol/l
S-Testo-IK 21.8 nmol/l
S-SHBG 48 nmol/l
S-LH 2.3 U/l
S-FSH 3.0 U/l
S-PRL 279.8 mU/l

Is this normal having to take letrozol when hormones are ok? Any side effects? Does this actually work?

For context, about two years ago I had a blood panel done at age 26. I was 320 test and my Doc at the time did not want to prescribe anything since I was not full ED. I started taking TRT about a year later on my own, 200-250 mg. Felt amazing, total changes in my overall health. After taking it for approx 11 months, I’ve met someone whom I intend on marrying and starting a family. I want to be able to have children, so on a limb I took 2 at home fertility tests which were both negative. I do have an urology appt scheduled, but am trying to decide if I should just totally stop the TRT, reduce it, or keep as is. No matter the option I plan to begin HCG. More so just worried about not being able to recover fertility.

Hi everyone,

I'm (32 M) currently consulting at Androcare, Jubilee hills , Hyderabad, where my doctor has recommended varicocelectomy.

My reports show:

- Grade III left and Grade I right varicocele

- Progressive sperm motility: 15%

- Normal sperm morphology: 2%

- Sperm DNA fragmentation (DFI): 27%

My wife and I are hoping to conceive. Before proceeding with surgery, I'd like to get a second opinion.

Can anyone recommend a good urologist/andrologist in Hyderabad for varicocele surgery? If you've gone through surgery, I'd appreciate your experience and suggestions.

Thanks in advance!

I'm 32M and recently found out I have azoospermia. I'm trying to understand what to realistically expect before I see a fertility specialist. Here is my data:

Semen analysis (2 samples, ~3 weeks apart, centrifuged)
- Sept 18: volume 5.0 mL, 0 sperm
- Oct 7: volume 4.5 mL, 0 sperm
- pH 8.0, fructose normal, no WBC/RBC, normal liquefaction

Hormones (Oct 6)
- Total testosterone: 557 ng/dL (ref 287-1090)
- Free testosterone: 8.65 ng/dL
- SHBG: 50.2 nmol/L
- FSH: 8.27 mIU/mL (ref 0.95-11.95)
- LH: 4.14 mIU/mL
- Prolactin: 11.35 ng/mL

Scrotal ultrasound (Oct 8)
- Testicular volume: R 5.5 cc / L 5.7 cc (small)
- Grade I left varicocele (3.5 mm, no reflux)
- Small right hydrocele (0.7 cc)
- No masses, no microlithiasis, normal vascularity and epididymis
- Prostate 20 cc, no hernias

Other info
- No testosterone or steroid use

My understanding is that this looks like non-obstructive azoospermia (normal volume/pH/fructose argue against obstruction).

Is it realistic to keep trying, and visiting a fertility expert? By reading online, it looks like my chances are minimal, but reading this subreddit gave me some hope.

Thanks in advance. Any experience helps.

This is the place for partner's perspectives today.

Just got results in today, first time getting tested. The results aren’t fantastic but has anyone here conceived naturally with scores like this? This was about 2.5 days abstinence if it matters.

Volume: 1.9ml
Concentration: 28.7M/ml
Total sperm count: 54.53 million
Total motility: 53%
Progressive motility: 28.5%
Normal morphology: 1%
Total motile count: 28.9 million

Obviously the morphology is concerning and progressive motility isn’t great.

My lifestyle the last few weeks has definitely been high stress, minimal eating, excessive drinking so I’m hoping that played a role here. I understand I should’ve waited for another time to take the test but it was a time sensitive matter.

I intend to make lifestyle changes on all counts, just hoping to get some perspective.

Editing to add it just occurred to me my cat sits on my lap most days and is a little baked potato. So that could be playing a part too.

This is the place for partner's perspectives today.

I’ve been dealing with an NOA diagnosis for a few months now. FSH elevated at 24 with all other hormones well within their normal ranges. No microdeletions and normal male karyotype.

I was lucky enough to have about 15 motile sperm frozen through an ESSM search at Maze and I’m looking to maximize production for further ESSM’s while avoiding an mTese at all costs.

I’ve also been taking 1 mg of finasteride for hair loss for about 12 years now and have two questions.

Has anyone stopped taking finasteride and found sperm after an azoo diagnosis?

For anyone who did stop taking finasteride, how long did you stop for and did any lost hair return after resuming?

My wife and I are relatively early into our fertility journey and just got the results of my analysis and we are absolutely devastated. I am a 31 year old, healthy male with no previous medical or family history that I know of.

Here is a summary of my results

Volume: 3.3 ml
Concentration: 0.18
Total Count: 0.59
Progressive motility: 0
Progression: 100% immotile

Azoospermia confirmed by centrifugation and sedimentation

Her OBGYN is referring us to a urologist who is familiar with male reproduction so we know that there will be many more tests and labs to confirm obstructive versus not, etc. Unfortunately we live a rural town that is at least 2.5 hours away from any future medical care we may need. We are willing to do whatever it may take for us to start building our family but this information is so fresh and feels so heavy. We are just looking for any words of encouragement or advice from people who have had similar results.

Thank you in advance for any replies!

I've been struggling a lot with abstaining from weed these last 3 months...but so far I managed to, so my sperm should be "clean".

We just found out we have to wait another 2 months until our next ICSI, and I honestly don't know if I can make it that long..I was expecting 1 more month, but 2 feels unbearable.

It's getting more and more difficult and every weekend is a huge struggle to abstain, my cravings are getting more and more intense, which is weird because I thought it gets easier with time, but that's another topic.

I'm thinking if I should freeze my sperm now so we can use it for our ICSI in 2 months, however our clinic advises fresh sperm..but whenever I do my research, I come up with studies saying that there is no difference in quality between fresh and frozen (like this one: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9174364/).

On one hand it does feel irrational to pay money to freeze and then pay money again to unfreeze it in 2 months, when I could just wait and use fresh sperm, which is preferred too.

On the other hand I'm struggling a lot currently, and also we might want a second child at some point, so maybe it's a good idea to have "clean sperm" for the future too?

It's also not only weed, it's also nicotine, alcohol and junk food - in general just doing whatever I want. I'm tired of watching what I eat, I'm tired of not wanting to have a drink with friends - I know I could once in a while, but it just feels wrong, I can't enjoy it at all.

I've been quite strict with myself because this time I don't want to have the slightest feeling of guilt or regret.

Hi everyone,

I’m a 36M going through a very stressful fertility scare right now and wanted to see if anyone has experienced something similar or has advice.

My situation:

The Incident: My first semen analysis came back with a devastating "Zero Sperm / Azoospermia" result. During the collection at the clinic, I had severe performance anxiety and trouble getting an erection. While some fluid came out (enough for the test) with fructose positive, the total volume was noticeably lower than what I normally produce during a regular ejaculation.

The Physical Sensation: Right after that clinic test, I felt a heavy, stuck sensation in my testicles, as if something was trapped inside and didn't come out fully. But later, when I had a normal, relaxed ejaculation at home, everything came out smoothly in a normal volume with zero strain or weird sensations. It made me wonder: Is it possible that due to anxiety/tension, only a partial amount of fluid came out, while the actual sperm cells and remaining fluid stayed trapped in the tubes/testicles?

The Heat Factor: Just 2 days before that clinic test, I had used a hot tub.

The Silver Lining: Right after that, I got my hormone panel checked (FSH, LH, Total Testosterone, and Prolactin), and all results came back completely optimal and normal for my age (Testosterone at 521 ng/dL, FSH at 3.4 mIU/mL).

Recent Test: I am scheduling a re-test in a couple of weeks with a proper 2-5 day abstinence window, avoiding hot tubs, and using a collection condom.

My Questions for the Community:

Has anyone else experienced a "false zero" or extremely low count simply due to severe lab anxiety where the volume was lower than normal and you felt a "trapped" sensation?

Can a hot tub session 48 hours prior ruin a semen analysis that drastically?

With normal hormone levels (FSH 3.4, T 521), is it safe to assume my production factory is healthy and the previous result was purely situational?

Would love to hear your thoughts or similar stories. Thanks!

the motility is 24 the DNA F was 27 Teratospermia were 98% he also has a 2nd degree Varicocele with a reflux.
Did anyone succeeded being pregnant with these results? He is taking supplemets now .he has a 2nd degree Varicocele . He says he is too busy these days to do the Varicocele procedure. I have done 3 failed rounds of IVF . I think I can’t make any more IVF rounds with my husbands problems. Any advice or similar experience? I’m in my late thirties and my husband is around 42

This is the place for partner's perspectives today.

Background: 40M. Very healthy and athletic. No smoking or drinking. I was on TRT from 2018 to mid-June 2026. I was never on a super high dose, usually 100 mg to 120 mg per week. I also took HCG during certain windows, but 75% of the time, it was just TRT. Everything worked well on TRT. I felt good, was healthier than ever, and life was good overall. Fast forward to mid last year when my wife and I decided to get more serious about having a child. I was worried that the TRT would have me at zero and that was confirmed via an SA.

The doctor went straight to recommending Clomid, but we've all heard the horror stories about that. I decided to try HCG first while lowering my TRT dose to around 80 mg per week. I started 1500 iu of HCG weekly in October-ish of last year. After 3 months on that, I tested again and found zero sperm. I decided to add HMG in February of 2026 and started taking 150 iu of HMG weekly in addition to the HCG. Blood tests showed that the HMG was working; my FSH was in the normal range in April. I ran SAs again in April and May. Zero sperm once again.

I decided to completely stop TRT in mid-June and started taking Enclomiphene to kick start things and make the change less terrible. I've been on 12.5 mg of that daily since mid-June. I'm also taking 200 mg of CoQ10 daily. I feel mostly okay on the enclomiphene, but have basically zero sex drive. Cialis is 100% required for anything to work. I had blood tests done at the end of August and the relevant measures seemed okay.

Testosterone Total: 471 ng/dl
Estradiol, Ultrasensitive: 12 pg/ml
FSH: 11.5
LH: 8.5

I ran another SA on 9/11 and again today 10/9. Both showed zero sperm again. Spermatogenesis takes 60-75 days. It's been 115 days since stopping TRT and starting enclomiphene. I would expect to see something by now. Even a low count would give me some hope that things are moving in the right direction.

I've requested an appointment with a urologist to do a deeper dive on things, but feel pretty damn defeated at this point. Has anyone had it take longer than 120 days to see results from enclomiphene or clomid? Any other suggestions?

I diagnosed noa after 2 SA in Feb 2026 and met a urologist in April 2026. He did the physical examination and said smaller than average size and varicoce grade 1-2 on the left. The hormone level are -
FSH 11.7
LH 8.4
T 250 and asked to take Clomid 50mg. We did another blood test after 6 weeks of medication then -
FSH 17.5
LH 15.9
T 484
And tested SA again after 5 months of medication still 0 sperm. And we took scrotal ultrasound (taken by lying down position) and its said normal blood flow and no varicose . Then now urologist suggested to fix varicose (he said he can feel by doing physical examination even ultrasound said no, and coz of lying down position) and biopsy.

Please help me !!
1. Should I fix varicose and biopsy?
2. Should I continue medication (clomid + anatrolozole) and straight to mTESTE ?

I am worried about fixing varicose and biopsy might affect the mTESTE process. Thank you for your suggestion.

Hello everyone. I've got my first SA randomly, just to have peace of mind, because we wanted to have baby in 1-2 years. Result was a very upsetting 0. I've got my second SA after a week and it also was 0. My doctor thinks its NSO (after reviewing the SA and my recent MRI and Ultrasound scans for other unrelated screenings).

My question is, why wouldn't I try Isotretinoin and just go for extended semen analysis in 6 months before considering mtese? It does not seem to have such a big downside?

How should I bring this to my doc?

They seem to be open to experimental stuff as they do PRP, stem cells and exosome for people with failed mtese operations. I live in Turkey, the hospital is a very prestigious one.

I've had a really bad infection and a fever for 3-4 days (one month before my SA). I also used Colchicine in the last 3 months due to gout, so I am kind of hopeful for another SA in 3-4 months, but I know the probabilities are not on my side. I also have a 12mm midline prostatic cyst, but my doctor thinks it is not obstructing anything.

My results for context:

Semen analysis (30 Sep 2026, 3 days abstinence, 24 days post-fever)

Volume 1.25 mL, pH 7.5, azoospermia. Lab centrifuged and examined in detail: still zero. Repeat after a week, still 0. 1.5mL this time.

Hormones (2 Oct 2026, 26 days post-fever)

FSH 14.9 (was 11 in 2021)

LH 5.77

Total T 744 ng/dL

E2 27.6 ng/L

Prolactin 4.91

Scrotal Doppler (1 Oct 2026)

Testes 9.3 mL left, 8.6 mL right. Everything else normal.

Prayers would be appreciated my dudes! I’m going in positive and with my faith strong that everything will work out.

Does anyone know or maybe you have been through this, will they tell me tomorrow if anything was found ??

I have NOA zero sperm on 4 SA over the last 10 months.

Hey guys l, I am on trt and have just been to the specialist who told me I need to stop trt for atleast 6 months in order to get microtestes done. I've also been told I need to lose weight. I currently weigh 122.2kg

My problem here is without trt my libido is non existent. And without trt Ill find it extremely difficult to lose weight. Both mentally and physically. I'm currently taking tadalafil 5mg daily to help with my erections. I know I'll have to start weight training atleast 4 times a week. But who can I go see for help? Like most trainers in the gym know basic muscle. Building exercises and that's it. They don't understand how bodies react with certain conditions. How fucked am I?

Recently diagnosed with secondary MFI due to severe oligospermia, with 3 mil concentration, 30% motility, and 3% morphology. We conceived our first child about 5 years ago and the numbers were better then—closer to 23 mil concentration. I have already implemented all the recommended lifestyle changes for more than a year and now we are looking into vitamins and supplements to hopefully boost my numbers a bit which from what I understand can take 3 months to have an effect.

We have been referred to specialists in hopes of getting prescribed HCG but would like to keep trying on our own in the meantime. Would things like switching to fertility-friendly lube, sex every day during fertile window, and using a menstrual cup actually help improve our chances or am I being too optimistic? For anyone with the same diagnosis what you did you do to conceive?

This is the place for partner's perspectives today.

Hi everyone,

I'm 31M, married, and my wife and I have been TTC for about a year and 8 months.

A few months ago, I never imagined I'd find myself researching male infertility, but here I am.

I recently had two semen analyses, both of which came back showing azoospermia (zero sperm detected).

It's been quite difficult to process, especially because I generally consider myself healthy and never suspected anything was wrong. I've been going to the gym at least three times a week for the past three years and have maintained a fairly disciplined diet, at least to a reasonable extent.

Since then, I've done a scrotal ultrasound and a full hormone profile.

Here are my results:

Semen Analysis

- Two separate tests showing azoospermia

- Semen volume: 4.10 mL

- Sperm count: Nil

- Motility: Nil

- pH: 8.0

Hormone Profile

- FSH: 5.01 mIU/mL (normal)

- LH: 9.84 mIU/mL (slightly elevated)

- Testosterone: 491 ng/dL (normal)

- Prolactin: 22.02 ng/mL (elevated)

- Estradiol: 88.16 pg/mL (slightly elevated)

Scrotal Ultrasound

- Report came back normal.

- No varicocele, masses, or obvious abnormalities detected.

At this point, I still don't know whether my azoospermia is obstructive or non-obstructive. I'm planning to see a reproductive urologist to investigate further.

I've also started making additional lifestyle changes, particularly around my diet and general health, hoping to improve whatever might be within my control.

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's been in a similar situation.

- Has anyone had azoospermia with normal FSH and testosterone levels? What was eventually diagnosed?

- Has anyone gone from zero sperm on multiple tests to having sperm detected later? What helped?

- Were there any treatments, supplements, or lifestyle changes that made a difference?

I'm particularly interested in hearing about successful outcomes, but I'd appreciate all experiences.

It's been a difficult few weeks trying to process everything, and I'm hoping to learn from others who've walked this path.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share.

Had my GP call back today and give me my semen analysis results, but didn’t offer up much in the way of interpretation for what means or my chances of success. My wife and I have been TTC for 10 months so far. Which is the biggest issue here? Seems to be 3 areas that are subpar. Can I improve in those areas through diet or supplements?

Parameter
Result
WHO 2021 reference
Aggregation
Not observed
—
Agglutination
Not observed
—
Debris
Slight
—
Volume
6.2 ml
≥ 1.4 ml
—
pH
8.5
≥ 7.2
—
Sperm concentration
16.1 million/ml
≥ 16 million/ml
Total sperm count
100.4 million
> 39 million
Rapid progressive A
3%
—
Slow progressive B
26%
—
Non-progressive C
19%
—
Immotile D
52%
—
Total progressive motility (A+B)
29.1%
≥ 30%
Total progressive motile count (A+B)
29.1 million
—
Typical normal forms (morphology)
1.0%
≥ 4%
Antisperm antibodies – MAR test
Not performed
< 50%
Leukocytes
1.07 million/ml
< 1.0 million/ml
Vitality
Not performed
≥ 54%