Should I lose hope?

[SJW84]

So went for my follow up outpatient appointment a couple of weeks ago and we were expecting to receive my partners sperm test results but hospital hadn’t received them back from the clinic. My consultant prescribed a further 3 months of clomid paired with metformin as I had showed signs of ovulation before and she sent us on our way. Got home from work today to find a letter from the hospital telling us there were no signs of sperm 😢 has anyone else’s partner (or for the men on here - yourselves) had this problem? Is there anything we can be doing or taking to help? Or is this the end of the road for us? Any help or guidance greatly appreciated x

[londonrc]

I am sure there is something that can be done- and I’m sure someone on here will give you some specific advice as I haven’t experienced this before. Was this the first time your husbands sperm has been tested? I’m sure it’s not the end of the road for you - call your consultant too and see what they say. Don’t lose hope, there is always a way! X

[Suzannah1985]

Hi 👋

Your partner should be asked to supply a second sample, to sense check the first result. If Azoospermia is confirmed he will probably be referred to a urologist where they will do further tests, like bloods to check hormone levels and most likely a karotyping blood test to see if he is a CF carrier (which usually results in azoospermia).

It absolutely isn’t the end of the line at this stage, my husband has azoospermia due to a micro blockage and he had surgical sperm retrieval, giving us 10 vials of, ahem, stuff. We have used one vial per round of treatment.

We haven’t had success yet, but have issues on my side which have complicated things.

I know people who have had successful IVF treatment following a diagnosis of azoospermia, it really can work xx

[Sweets1]

We are you using a sperm donor as my husband suffers with a genetic disorder called Klinefelter syndrome. Don’t lose hope this is not the end of the road! Good luck xx

[Lizzielizzielizzie]

It’s not the end of the line- my friends partner had a zero test twice then a test with just a few sperm and then she fell pregnant naturally! The only change was that her partner stopped working nights. You’ll definitely need your partner to have a few more tests and specialist appointments eg with urologist before you know for sure if he can’t produce sperm. I guess there’s no point taking the ovulation meds right now though.

[Lookingforadvice2018]

You shouldnt lose hope. I myself have had those results and to say it is hard to hear is an understatement, however we are going through iui with donor sperm, it will get easier trust me, tell your partner not to worry as there are loads they can do before saying there is zero sperm

[Lynnr54]

I think next steps will depend on the reason for no sperm. As the other ladies have said, your partner will probably have to go for more tests to understand what’s happening. If there are sperm being produced in the testes but just not making it through then surgical extraction is definitely an option. I’ve seen a few stories on here of men having had that and successful outcomes at the end. It will most likely mean ICSI (where a single sperm is directly injected into an egg) but that is now a very proven technique and as successful as IVF. So please don’t lose hope just yet. There is definitely still a possibility of it happening for you.

[Tugsgirl]

Is your hubby on any supplements? If not that’s the first thing to get him on. Something like wellman conception for men. It would take about three months to make any difference in results. Ideally he should be tested again in three months anyway.. You can still try naturally, you have nothing to lose. If all else fails hopefully you can have a shot at ICSI. Good luck xx

[Cinderella5]

It takes around 3 months for any lifestyle changes to kick in, my hubby has very little sperm. Its worth trying the loose boxers, no hot baths (need to keep things cool downstairs), no alcohol (or cutting back), no smoking and in being healthier in general. If the next same comes back the same then they may want to check for genetic issues (like cystic fibrosis & kleinefelter syndrome). Failing that they may able able to do a surgical retrieval if the think its possible and of course if hubby is up for that, even if they get a few they can do ICSI which is where they inject each egg retrieved from you with one sperm so they dont need loads so all is not lost yet. Big hugs, remember to reassure your hubby as he'll be feeling pretty devastated (as Im sure you are). Mine felt like such a failure and even told me he would understand if I wanted to leave so I think it makes them feel very vunerable.xx