DH's sperm test results

[Jann]

Hi,
Since all of you girls are so nice and supportive and knowledgable, I was wondering if any of you can comment on DH's sperm results that I picked up today:

pH is 8,3 (normal is 7.2 to 8.0)
Motile is 15%
Non-Motile is 85%
Sperm concentraion: 64.0000 milion/mL
Leucocytes -Many
Red Blood Cells- Few

They didn't examine the specimine until one and a half hours after we collected it. That seems to make it not accurate, right? Why did they wait so long? Maybe that is the reason for the poor results?

Thanks again for your feedback.
Jann

[BC-Maura]

Hi Jann: I know very little about sperm analysis ... but I do know that results can vary GREATLY from specimen to specimen... did your doctor suggest a re-test? I'd be interested in hearing from someone who's versed in this area. If you don't get any bites here, have you tried the male factor bb? Please let us know whether you decide to redo it or what your doctor says about this.

Good luck and keep in touch++++++++++++
Maura

[Ferret Mommy]

Did your Dr state if it was normal or not? Best Wishes!

[Makuahine]

Jann,

DH and I are dealing with MF issues, his numbers are as follows

Volume 2.0 Ideal Range 1.0-5.0 (normal)
Viscosity says "Increased" (abnormal)
Motility 20% Ideal Range 60-90%
3 Hr. Motility 10% Ideal Range 60-90%
Count 3.20 Million Ideal Range 20.00-150.00 Million
Morphology 80% Normal Ideal Range 60-90% Normal
pH 9.0 Ideal Range 7.0-8.0
Bacteria Rare Ideal - Negative
WBC Many Ideal - Negative
RBC Few Ideal – Negative

They waited an hour to “run” the test on DH’s sample as well, which also made me wonder.

At this point, the RE is addressing the issues present in this SA, WBC’s and RBC’s as well as low count. DH is dealing with a Testosterone issue, that we hope will address the count issue.

When I asked for information a while back on the SA results we go, someone posted the following resource: http://www.fertility-docs.com/sperm_eval.phtml

You might try checking it out and looking at your numbers. Judging by what you posted, it looks like he has a donor quality count, but low motility. Did they give you a morphology number? While motility indicates how the sperm are moving in the ejaculate, the morphology count tells you how many of them are normal (correct shape and composition)

The Dr. gave us the following suggestions for motility – Drink a soda 30 minutes before BMS’ing. The caffeine will help “stimulate” the swimmers to swim.

DH is also dealing with some viscosity issues, and the RE suggestion “Mucinex” 30 minutes before BMS’ing.

If there isn’t a morphology count on your SA numbers, I’d call and find out if you can get it. Another handy number to have is the volume…if you’ll look at the numbers I posted above, you will see that DH’s count was 3.2 Mil – and according to the RE, you actually multiply that number by the volume, meaning his count is actually 6.4 per “sample”…I don’t understand it completely, I just know I was sorta relieved with the RE shared that tidbit, as a 3.2 count is almost non-existent in regards to SA numbers.

At any rate – your DH’s numbers look better than my DH’s and our RE told us that his numbers weren’t as bad as some of his clients who have gone on to successfully conceive without IVF…so I’m holding out hope.

Forgot to add that our RE said that some Labs are better at processing the time sensitive test than others – and that an hour is questionable, but because of the other issues we’re dealing with – he wanted to get him started on treatment before he ran another test.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Jann]

Thanks ladies, for all of your help.

Makualine, your info was very, very helpful. I am still at the stage of going to my OBgyn or initial screening. My insurance will let me go to an RE when I finish all of the initial screening (I just got the OK to go for an HSG next month so that is my next step before going to an RE); DH is a little shy about talking about his SA with professionals. I called his primary care doctor and just asked for doctor's orders to get a sperm analysis and then I picked up the results there. Today I go to my OBGYN so hopefully he will give me moe info. Also, I think that DH is going to call his primary care doc.

I would assume that I should tell DH to get an appt. with a urologist, right? Since we don't see an RE yet, I would think that a urologist would be the best bet for him right now.

Also, what does having high WBC (leucocyte) levels mean?


Thanks again to all of you for your help! Jann

[Makuahine]

WBC’s in the SA usually indicate a Prostatisis or some other kind of infection in the male tract. DH took antibiotics for ten days to (hopefully) clear up whatever was causing his WBC to be “many”.

Yes, I think if you’re RE appointment is somewhere in the future (sometimes it can take a while to even be seen) then you should go to a Urologist. Make sure you take the SA results, and if DH has a good rapport with his GP, you might consider asking the GP to order a fertility blood workup. It includes things like LH, FSH, Testosterone (and if I could find the labwork on my desk, I could tell you the rest, let me know if you need it and I will make more of an effort!)

I wanted to add; DH also has a small (tiny I think is what the Urologist said) Varicocele. So, write that on your list of things to had DH ask about when he goes to see the Urologist.

Talk to DH a lot…find out why he is having a hard time talking about it. I don’t know if this is standard, but our first RE appointment in September was 5 hours long – with four of those hours spent sitting across the desk from the Dr. talking about my cycles, my reproductive history, sexual history as well as DH’s SA results, his reproductive history and sexual history – and then finally our sexual history as a couple, possible causes, treatments and options – all of which were very personal and very exposing. I think the more you do now to prepare DH for the future RE appointment, the more productive it will be. By the time DH and I got to our appointment, he was “ok” with talking about it, but our Dr. did a REALLY good job of putting us at ease and allowing us to all have a conversation on a peer level.

Please keep us posted on what’s going on! I had my HSG last week, thankfully everything is fine…I did have some “garbage” clogging my single tube, but that was pushed out with the dye!

Good luck as you navigate the fertility world

[Jann]

Makuahine et al,
My OBGYN's office just called to cancel todays appt. since he had a patient going into labor and was heading to the hospital. Oh well.

DH has always been squeemish about any medical stuff.

Later on today, he will contact his primary care doctor who will hopefully order him a script for an anit biotic to hopefully help with his pH level and his WBC elevated level. The next step is to call his urologist (he hasnt seen him for about 5 years and that was for something unrelated to infertility) who he will ask to write him a script for an anti biotic. The next step is to wait 2 weeks, which is the time when we can get an appt to see the urologist.

Thanks again for all of your help! Jann

[BC-Maura]

Good luck, Jann... keep us posted!

+++++++++++++++
Maura

[Jann]

Thank you Makuahine and to all the others for your support!!!!!!

DH talked to his primary care doctor yesterday. He said "you'll need to make an appt. with a urologist." Then DH said "my wife said that you might put me on anti biotics for the high ph and report of 'many' WBCs (related to the high PH accoring to internet). He then went back on what he said and ordered a 10 day anti biotic. Dh also reminded the doc that he has had a urology condition 3 times in the past (similar to a woman getting a urinary tract infection) and he said that it might be this again.

Thanks for all of your help! I wouldn't have known to suggest an anti biotic if it weren't for you. The doc said to repeat the test after finishing the anti biotic.

So at least we are doing something to help!!!

Do the 'high' WBC's affect the motility? Could the anti biotic help the motility since the high WBCs might be the problem?

Thanks! Jann

[mmi]

Ask for morphology, this is also extremely important.