Feb 16 2026: (in office)

- Volume: 2.9 mL

- Concentration: <2 million/mL

- Total count:

- Total motility: 40%

- Progression 2+

- Morphology: unable to be performed

-Comments: Severe oligozoospermia, Sperm concentration is very low; unable to perform morphology assessment

May 21 2026: (at home collection, dropped off within 30 min. )

- Volume: 3.5 mL

- Concentration: 3.5 million/mL

- Total count: 12.5 million

- Total motility: 4%

- Progression - 2

- Morphology: 2%

- Comments: Severe oligozoospermia/asthenozoospermia, moderate teratozoospermia

Additional details:

285 lb so i know i need to lose weight, I used to be really into the gym and have just started picking that back up for strength training but basically starting over.

stress is major factor in life currently including infertility and other things.

i have my first reproductive urologist appt in 10 days

current supplements include multivatamin, COq10, fish oil, (about 2-3 weeks of these) and starting L-Carnitine when it is delivered in a few days. Anything else i should try, all of my

wife's tests have all been normal so not feeling great about being the cause of our issues letting her down with my numbers.

My tests came back and results are:

Abstinence 2 days

Volume 4.2ml

Color Greyish white

Count 19M/ml

Active motile : 5%

Sluggish:45%

Non motile: 50%

Liquefaction time 1 hour

Pus cells :1-2%

Morphology: 68%

Is this condition reversable? Little bit anxious.

Hello everyone, I’m really confused and hoping someone here can help me understand this better.I was previously diagnosed with azoospermia after two semen analyses done at a standard manual lab. Both results showed 0 sperm.

Recently, I went to a different hospital for another opinion. They repeated the test using an AI‑based analyzer (Lenshooke) instead of manual microscopy. This time the results came back as:

• 0.9 million/mL sperm count
• 1% motility
• 1% morphology

This is obviously a huge difference from “zero,” and it gave us some hope because we really want to avoid going straight to micro‑TESE if possible.

The only thing that changed before this test was that I happened to drink raw goat milk for about two weeks (not for fertility reasons — just because I liked the taste). I don’t smoke, drink, or use drugs.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Could the difference be due to the testing method? Is this real or false hope? Thank you everyone

Update on my case (43M, NOA, confirmed SCO, bilateral microTESE negative in September 2025).

Following my negative microTESE, my andrologist started me on hCG/Ovitrelle. I'm now trying to understand what this treatment is actually doing in my case.

Before treatment (February 2026):

- FSH: 29 IU/L

- LH: 18.4 IU/L

- Estradiol: 50 pg/mL

- Total testosterone: 3.84 ng/mL

- Bioavailable testosterone: 3.83

After about 2 months on hCG (April 2026):

- FSH: 19 IU/L

- LH: 10.4 IU/L

- Estradiol: 54 pg/mL

- Bioavailable testosterone: 2.07

- Inhibin B: 11 pg/mL (down from 42.1 pg/mL previously)

After about 3 months of treatment, but with a forced 1-week interruption before the blood test (May/June 2026):

- FSH: 28.2 IU/L

- LH: 14.8 IU/L

- Estradiol: 30 pg/mL

- Bioavailable testosterone: 1.16 ng/mL

What puzzles me is that my numbers seem to be getting worse rather than better since starting hCG.

Yes, FSH and LH decreased while on treatment, but at the same time:

- Inhibin B dropped from 42.1 to 11 pg/mL;

- Estradiol increased while on hCG;

- Bioavailable testosterone went from 3.83 before treatment to 2.07 and then 1.16;

- After only one week off hCG, FSH and LH rebounded quickly.

My impression is that hCG has made the hormonal picture more complicated without providing any obvious benefit regarding testicular function. In fact, the week off treatment almost felt like a clearer picture of my baseline status: estradiol normalized, while LH and FSH rose again as expected.

I realize I may be interpreting these numbers incorrectly, which is exactly why I'm looking for feedback from others with similar diagnoses.

For those with severe NOA, Sertoli Cell Only syndrome, and a negative microTESE, have you experienced something similar on hCG? Did you stay on it long term, and if so, what was the actual goal? Has anyone undergone a second microTESE after prolonged hormonal optimization and achieved sperm retrieval despite an SCO diagnosis?

This is the place for partner's perspectives today.

Afternoon all! I wanted to start by saying this Reddit group has really helped with perspective and knowing there are success stories!

My wife and I have been trying to conceive for the past year and half. I did my first sample analysis at the beginning of April, results were bad to say the least. Almost zero count and extremely low motility. Did blood work and a testosterone test, which all came back normal. This lead to a second sample delivery, with nearly identical results. Wound up getting a scrotal ultra sound, this showed I have varicocele in both testicles.

I had a follow up with a urologist/surgeon about possible options moving forward. The Dr. gave me two options. 1. Microsurgical varicocelectomy 2. Bilateral embolization (she recommended this). I wanted to ask this community, if they had any first hand experience with either of these two surgical option? Thank you all for reading and the support you all show one another.

My wife and I had a baby almost 2 years ago via IUI after 4 tries. Our 4th one was successful. My semen during 3/4 IUIs were good. Not great, but good. I had a semen analysis yesterday to prep for IUI again this month and it was not good - abnormal concentration and motility. I currently take a multivitamin, coq10, zinc, and omega 3. These were my results. I would appreciate any insight or opinions on how to improve these numbers. I am a healthy guy. I exercise several days a week, rarely drink alcohol etc.

Progressive Motility: 3
pH: 8.0 units
Sperm Agglutination: none
Viscosity: <2 cm
Percent Normal (%) Kruger Strict: 3%

Motile Concentration Count #1
4
Motile Concentration Count #2
3.3
Motile Concentration Avg
3.65
Non-Motile Concentration Count #1
7.3
Non-Motile Concentration Count #2
9.3
Non-Motile Concentration Avg
8.3
Calc. Total Concentration
11.95 (normal >15 M/mL)
Calc. Motility
30.54 (normal >40%)
Calc. Total Motile Count
10.22 (>9 M)
Forward Progression: Normal

My wife and I have been trying to conceive for a year now. In April I went to see a urologist and went for a SA test and it came back low. 6 weeks later in mid may I took another and had slight improvements but still below ideal numbers.

Went for a follow up yesterday with the same urologist and he said I should see a specialist. He recommended me one but they don’t take insurance and I don’t want to pay for all of this completely out of pocket.

My wife is also seeing a specialist endocrinologist to rule out any issues on her end. It seems it’s a part of a fertility clinic and there is an initial consultation with the both of us at first. Is that the correct next step? Or should I try to seek out my own specialist on top of this for next steps?

Just feeling stuck since my urologist really wasn’t much help at all and couldn’t even really tell me anything about my results or what I should be doing to try and improve. I’ve taken into my own hands of exercising 5+ days a week and cutting sugar, which I think was reason for some slight improvements in tests.

Hi everyone,
Looking for insights/advice from people who improved similar semen analysis results naturally, with supplements, lifestyle changes, or medical treatment.
My semen analysis results:
Volume: 1.0 mL (low)
Sperm concentration: 6.3 million/mL (low)
Total sperm count: 6.3 million (low)
Total motility: 51%
Progressive motility: 17% (low)
Morphology: 1% normal forms (very low)
Vitality: 60%

Other details:
Hormone levels are normal (FSH, LH, Testosterone, etc.)
Blood work normal
Scrotal scans/ultrasound normal
No varicocele found
Currently only taking CoQ10 for the last 3 months
No smoking/alcohol
Trying to understand root cause and what actually helped others in real life

Main concerns:
Has anyone improved low morphology + low count significantly?
What supplements actually worked for you? (L-Carnitine, Fertilaid, Zinc, Selenium, Ashwagandha, etc.)
How long did improvements take?
Did anyone conceive naturally/IUI/IVF with similar numbers?
Any hidden causes worth investigating even when hormones and scans are normal?

This is the place for partner's perspectives today.

M23 F21 My count is about 400k/ml with 25% motility. Everything so far has checked out so they said the only options are IVF (we have no insurance) or a biopsy of the testicle to try and find “one of 6 things that could be causing it”. I was told I’d be out of work for about a week and it would require about 6-9 months of monitoring with different medications to see if we can fix whatever it is causing it. Has anyone else had this done? I’m not sure what I was expecting but definitely thought there would be other options

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for honest experiences from men or couples who have dealt with severe male factor infertility.

My wife is 28 years old and has undergone a full fertility workup. According to our fertility clinic, all of her results are good, and there are currently no known female fertility issues.

On my side, however, we seem to be dealing with male factor infertility.

Semen Analysis #1 (23 Feb 2026)
Raw sample
Volume: 3.0 mL
Sperm concentration: 4.0 million/mL
Total motile sperm (ABC): 2.0 million/mL
Progressive motile sperm (AB): 1.0 million/mL
Total progressive motile sperm (AB): 3.0 million
Morphology: Few abnormal forms
Viscosity: Normal

After sperm wash/preparation
Concentration: 3.0 million/mL
Total progressive motile sperm (AB): 0.5 million
Total motile sperm (ABC): 2.0 million/mL
Progressive motile sperm (AB): 1.0 million/mL
Final volume: 0.5 mL

Semen Analysis #2 (25 Mar 2026)
Raw sample
Volume: 3.0 mL
Sperm concentration: 3.0 million/mL
Total motile sperm (ABC): 2.0 million/mL
Progressive motile sperm (AB): 1.0 million/mL
Total progressive motile sperm (AB): 3.0 million
Morphology: No abnormal forms reported
Viscosity: Low/thin

After sperm wash/preparation
Concentration: 1.0 million/mL
Total progressive motile sperm (AB): 0.5 million
Total motile sperm (ABC): 1.0 million/mL
Progressive motile sperm (AB): 1.0 million/mL
Final volume: 0.5 mL

Background
I’m 29 years old.
I strength train regularly and also practice Muay Thai several times per week. I’m generally in good shape, at a healthy weight, don’t smoke, dont drink alcohol, and eat a healthy diet.

Since March 1st I’ve been trying to optimize everything possible:

CoQ10
Selenium
Omega-3
L-carnitine
Multivitamin
Magnesium
Improved sleep (trying to get 7-8 hours)
Regular exercise
Healthy diet
I understand that sperm production takes around 70–90 days, so I know improvements may take time to show up.

I Will soon take new Sperm tests.

Questions
1 Has anyone achieved a natural pregnancy with similar semen parameters?
2. Did anyone start with numbers like these and see significant improvement later?
3. What made the biggest difference for you?
4. Was a varicocele, hormonal issue, infection, or something else found?
5. Did your clinic recommend IVF/ICSI immediately, or did they advise continuing to try naturally?
6. If your numbers improved, what were your before-and-after results?

I would really appreciate hearing from people with similar starting points, whether the outcome was natural conception, IUI, IVF, ICSI, or significant improvement in semen parameters.

Thanks in advance.

My FSH is 15

LH is 17

testosterone in 684

FSH and LH are high but testosterone is normal

I have grade 3 vericocele

How many chances will it improve after surgery?

Sup fellas. Just a venting post because I wouldn't wish journey on my worst enemy.

This is my story; I first found out I have no sperm aka azoospermia in October of 2025. I never had a sperm test in my life and didn't even know having no sperm was a thing. In fact I never even wanted kids most of my life until I met my wifey.

Once I met her we sort of played prevention but in summer of 2025 she removed her BC. After a few months there was no concern but I always like to get yearly blood tests to make sure Im healthy so I threw the T levels and sperm test in there for the fun of it.

I still remember the day I found out my count was zero. Probably the worst day and following weeks of my life. (without my faith I don't know if I would be where I'm currently at, because now I have accepted the fact even tho that it still hurts that I may never be a father but I hurt more for my wife because I know she desires badly to be a mother even tho she tells me its ok if "we" cant have kids, I will still feel like i failed her but i trust in gods plan that maybe I can)

so i took one test in october 2025 = zero sperm and another test a few days later = zero sperm. I followed that by tons research and found a doctor in my area, we met with him and he told me to stop taking this hair medicine which i have taken for some months after my hair transplant, in the mean time of waiting for it to run out my body i tested my FSH and LH which were both high (BTW i have normal T levels of 400-500, maybe a bit low but somewhat normal)

i did retest SA and still zero sperm and we decided to change doctors which made us feel much more comfortable but they said they haven't done a ton of surgeries in this area but they know what azoo is. Not sure how I feel about that but I guess is what it is. This friday they are having me do the AZF and karotype tests. I have fully accepted whatever happens because honestly its crazy how us men go through that and other couples get prego on the first try and dont even know this world exists. I hope everyone stays strong. Ill come back with more updates soon. I truly believe in jesus christ and what ever his plan is for me but sometimes I feel scared.

First of all sorry if its not allowed post here this! ☺️

35M. I've been struggling for around 3 years with low libido, very few sexual thoughts or fantasies, weaker erections, reduced penile sensitivity and a general lack of sexual desire. These symptoms have been persistent and haven't improved over time.

I also used to wake up with strong morning erections almost every day, but now it only happens once or twice a week at most. I've also noticed a significant reduction in nocturnal erections compared to how things were before my symptoms started.

One of the things that worries me the most is that I basically have no erotic or sexual thoughts anymore. I can see an attractive woman and feel almost nothing sexually, with no spontaneous desire, fantasies or sexual interest. This wasn't always the case.

My wife and I are also trying to conceive, so I'm concerned that whatever is causing these symptoms could also affect fertility.

Recent hormone-related bloodwork:

* Total Testosterone: 4.05 ng/mL

* Free Testosterone (calculated): 9.32 ng/dL

* Bioavailable Testosterone: 209.09 ng/dL

* SHBG: 27.5 nmol/L

* LH: 4.0 mIU/mL

* FSH: 3.0 mIU/mL

* Estradiol (E2): 34.7 pg/mL

* Prolactin: 22.4 ng/mL

* Prolactin (20 min repeat): 15.0 ng/mL

* TSH: 2.38

* Free T4: 1.39

* Vitamin D: 14 ng/mL

Additional info:

* 35 years old

* 180 cm, 85 kg

* Non-smoker

* Rarely drink alcohol

* Symptoms started gradually about 3 years ago

I'm currently waiting for my urologist appointment to discuss the results and decide on the next steps, but I'd like to hear other opinions in the meantime.

Do any of these values stand out as a possible explanation for the low libido, erectile issues, reduced frequency of morning and nocturnal erections, lack of sexual thoughts, reduced sexual sensation and almost complete absence of sexual attraction? Would you investigate anything else, especially considering that we're trying to conceive?

Thanks.

We are trying to conceive for the last 10 months with no luck and this is my SA report. Is it possible to conceive with such parameters?

Volume 1.50 mL Slightly below this lab's stated range (2–4 mL)

Concentration 69.14 million/mL Excellent (above 15 million/mL)

Total sperm per ejaculate 103.71 million Excellent (above 39 million)

Total motility 62.87% Good (above 40%)

Progressive motility ~12.6% (0.13 + 12.47) Lower than ideal

Non-progressive motility 50.27% High

Immotile 37.13% Acceptable given total motility

Morphology (normal forms) 10%

pH 7.5 Normal

Liquefaction 30 min Normal

Fructose Positive

Normal Round cells

0.22 M/mL Normal

29M. I had two semen analyses about 3 months apart.

March 2026:

- Volume: 4.5 mL

- Concentration: 72.1 million/mL

- Total count: 324.4 million

- Total motility: 56%

- Progressive motility: 51%

- Morphology: 5%

- Vitality: 90%

- Impression: Normozoospermia (normal)

May 2026:

- Volume: 4.0 mL

- Concentration: 53.4 million/mL

- Total count: 213.6 million

- Total motility: 31%

- Progressive motility: 23%

- Morphology: 2%

- Vitality: 65%

- Impression: Asthenoteratozoospermia

Additional details:

- Abstinence period before latest test: 3 days

- I smoke about 10–20 cigarettes per day and have been smoking for about 3 years

- BMI/weight is high and I'm working on weight loss

- Testosterone levels (350)

Having gyno.

My questions:

1. How much variation between semen analyses is considered normal?

2. Could smoking and obesity explain this drop in motility and morphology?

3. Has anyone seen similar results improve after quitting smoking and losing weight?

Hello Everyone

I have some questions around my rather bad semen analysis results and would really appreciate your inputs around this

So here’s my story
We have been trying for last 2 months for a baby and i decided to check my counts early so i could make some lifestyle changes if those were bad. I was smoking 6 7 cigarettes 2 3 months earlier then i brought it down to 3 4 and now since last week i have completely stopped. I used to have 6-8 beers of 500ml a month during last month but this also i have stopped now.

1. First i checked from those basic sperm test kits which have C and T lines and say if it’s greater than 15 mil. I tested it twice and always saw 2 lines.

2. I ordered exseed and i got 47.6 TSMC , 71.3 M /ml concentration and 29 % mortility also my volume was close to 1.8-2 ml

Then i decided to finally get myself checked from a lab but the day i got checked i was feeling very tired after i gave my sample to the lab my wife called and i took her to emergency because she had mild fever and red spots on her body due a insect infection ( we sat on a freshly cut grass a few days back ). Once we got back to our house i noticed i also had some red spots on my body and after that day i also had full on allergy like my wife with red spots ,itching and all and we were both taking cetirizine for it.

My lab results were bad 12 mil/mL counts, 2 % fast progressive mortality , 9 % slow progressive , non progressive 6%, immobile 83%, morphology 2%

The did some semen wash results where fast progressive mortality is 10 %, slow progressive is 37 %, non-progressive 3% and immobile 50%.

I am wondering if the bad allergy and possible mild fever caused the drop in my numbers. Because i was hoping to get somewhat closer results to my previously done tests.

In any case i am doing the lifestyle changes and wont be consuming alcohol and cigarettes anymore but still these numbers have got me real confused. But i am taking the lab results as the gold standard here.

Did any one of you have such experience or do you have any insights on such a situation.

Would really appreciate your insights

Thanks

Having my MTese on Wednesday. I bought a few different things like jockstrap and tight boxers with ice sleeves (although I don’t know how helpful that will actually be) I was wondering if anyone else has any other suggestions for me. I’m super nervous but trying to stay positive and not let it all affect me. But when I avoid the negative thoughts , I also avoid the preparation I need. Any help is greatly appreciated!

This is the place for partner's perspectives today.

Hoping some of you are in or from Tampa to give us some advice!
Wife (26) and I (29) have been dealing with non obstructive azoospermia for about 2 years now. I’ve always had a lower sperm count but had always had sperm until about two years ago where I’ve had consistency results at 0. We’ve done STAR where they found a few rare sperm but non le usable for IVF. We are now looking into having the MTESE but aren’t super impressed with our current urologist

Has anyone had success in Tampa finding a good surgeon for MTese? I know the best ones are in other states, but with the strain this is already taking it would be ideal to at least stay in FL.

Any help would be much appreciated from this community!

Link to previous update and original post

Hi everyone, just wanted to post a brief update since my last one for those going through Obstructive Azoo, particularly those that are dealing with it as a CF Carrier. Last we left off, they were able to retrieve 4 vials of sperm that were frozen through a TESA procedure. We were then in preparations to do IVF.

My wife and I went to Southeast Michigan for a retrieval. It was truly an emotional experience, especially being 10 hours from our home. We went through Henry Ford in Rochester Hills and the overall process went well. Yes, we had to pay out of pocket for IVF and medications. If I can offer one tip that worked for us financially, it was to open up the longest term 0% interest credit card and just charge it. I found the best offer was through US Bank for a 24 month period. We just charged the whole thing and set it to autopay each month in order to clear it out before the end of the 24 months. Keep in mind we had lots of other expenses like lodging and meals, but our core IVF price for the procedures and medications was ~$11,000 for procedures and ~3,000 for medications. We did stimulations for 10 days and planned to do a fresh transfer because we lived so far away and did not plan on PGT (partly just due to the insane cost, but also other factors). Pro tip...do not get caught up in your fertilization rate/embryo count if you can. We had a lower egg count than we wanted, lower fertilization rate then we wanted, then fewer embryos than expected...but my wife is now 20 weeks with a healthy boy. We were lucky because the fresh embryo took. So essentially her pregnancy started right when we started IVF.

Please feel free to message me if you have any questions or just need someone to talk to.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for advice from others who have dealt with male-factor infertility, especially varicoceles.

I'm 39M and my wife is 31F. We've been trying to conceive for approximately 6 months without success. I have a known Grade II varicocele (diagnosed by physical exam by my urologist).

I recently completed two semen analyses with fairly different results:

Fellow.com mail-in test on 5/4:

- Volume: 2.2 mL

- Concentration: 13 million/mL

- Motility: 56%

- Morphology: 3%

- Estimated TMSC: ~16 million

Clinic semen analysis on 5/28:

- Volume: 2.0 mL

- Concentration: 10 million/mL

- Motility: 16%

- Morphology: 3%

- Liquefaction: >60 minutes

- pH: 8.0

- WBC positive

- Estimated TMSC: ~3.2 million

One thing I'm unsure about: I delivered the clinic sample within about 20 minutes of ejaculation, but the lab didn't analyze it until roughly 2 hours after collection. I'm wondering whether that delay could have significantly affected the motility result.

Additional context:

- Grade II varicocele diagnosed on physical exam

- My wife and I are both healthy weight, exercise regularly, and do not smoke or drink

- I've been trying to reduce heat exposure due to the varicocele

- Currently taking (for ~3 months):

- Omega-3

- CoQ10

- L-carnitine

- Zinc

- Selenium

- No known fertility issues on my wife's side at this point, but she is planning to begin fertility testing next month

My current urologist is skeptical that varicocele repair will meaningfully improve our odds, which surprised me based on what I've read. I'm planning to seek a second opinion from a reproductive urologist.

My questions:

- What type of specialist would you see next: reproductive urologist, fertility clinic, both? I'm in the Bay Area, and looking to visit Dr Turek's clinic (https://www.theturekclinic.com)

- At what point would varicocele repair start to make sense in a case like mine?

- Has anyone here had a Grade II varicocele with similar semen parameters and seen improvement after repair?

- Based on these numbers, what would you estimate my chances of natural conception are?

- What additional testing would you pursue next (hormones, DNA fragmentation, ultrasound, etc.)?

- Given that my wife is 31 and we're only 6 months into TTC, would you focus on further diagnostic workup first, or start seriously considering varicocele repair now?

I'd especially appreciate hearing from anyone who had similar semen parameters and a clinically significant varicocele, whether you pursued repair, and what your outcomes were.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone, my partner and I have been TTC. We got a baseline SA done in March which showed:

Volume 1.5L
Concentration 3 million/mL
Motility 31%
Concentration too low for morphology

Cause: idiopathic, all tests negative and normal ultrasound.

Since then we fixed up lifestyle (stress reduction, eating better and exercising regularly although I have never been overweight) and added supplements.

In May

Volume: 1.3mL
Concentration 8.5 million/mL
Motility 56%
Morphology 0%

Has anyone managed to conceive naturally with similar numbers?