We’re Having Trouble Getting Pregnant. Is a Semen Analysis Really Necessary?

Yes, it certainly is. About 15% of couples have trouble achieving pregnancy and it is not always the woman who is the source of the problem – the man can be just as equally responsible for the couple’s inability to conceive a child. In fact, even if the woman has taken a fertility test and there are signs of infertility, she may not be the only cause of the problem. About 1/3 of infertility cases stem from factors that can be attributed to both partners. For this reason, a semen analysis is needed in order conclusively determine the root cause of the infertility.

If a couple is having trouble conceiving, it is best to have fertility tests performed on each partner as soon as possible. This approach has the potential of saving you time and money because it can be very costly and time-consuming to completely focus on the woman, especially if later tests determine that she is not the true source of infertility. Even if she was infertile and treatments focused only on her, it still does not rule out the possibility of male infertility.

Male factor infertility could be undermining your efforts to get pregnant, and you will not know for sure unless you test for it. As you and your significant other get older, the window for a successful pregnancy gets narrower and narrower, especially if only her infertility problems are addressed. If you are ultimately discovered to be source of the infertility, months and months of treatments would’ve gone to waste.

When tackling problems arising from infertility, it is best to factor in a semen analysis to ensure accurate treatments are conducted. For more information on semen analysis and male factor infertility, contact the Fertility Center of California.