I originally posted my story on here to give everyone some hope, but now I’m in desperate need of some hope myself. I think I posted the link to the original post above.

Unfortunately, the two embryos we implanted resulted in a very early chemical pregnancy.

Since then, we did another IVF cycle and were lucky enough to retrieve 11 eggs. Unfortunately, when they thawed my frozen vial of tissue there weren’t nearly as many viable sperm as they thought (originally estimated to be approximately 200). After thaw, there were only 3 viable sperm (2 nonmotile and 1 motile) that they injected into 3 eggs.

Today, we were told that only 1 (one of the nonmotile sperm) successfully fertilized the egg. The other two are still being watched, but chances are fertilization didn’t work. We are waiting to hear back in a few days whether or not development continued.

I consider myself extremely lucky that they found sperm to begin with. I know how many of you hope for that miracle only to be met with negative results. However, it is a classic case of not seeing the forest for the trees. Finding sperm is just the first most basic step in this process and there are so many pitfalls that follow once you get past that initial hurdle.
I guess I am also sharing this as a cautionary tale that this journey isn’t over until you are holding a baby in your arms.

I don’t mean to sound so negative or ungrateful. I’m really not. I know what a miracle it was to find sperm at all. But, I could really use some positive stories where 1 lonely embryo worked and lead to a live birth against all odds for someone with NOA SCOS.

We do still have more eggs and I can do another surgery, but after getting knocked down so many times in the last few months I’m finding it really hard to find hope in this situation. Thanks for listening and sharing your own stories and hardships. I wish I had better news to update you with, but unfortunately this is the reality we are all forced to deal with.

Sucks to be making this post, but I'm 30M and was diagnosed with non-obstructive azoospermia after about a year of workup. Honestly, I’m completely at a loss. This looks like an emotional and expensive road, and I don’t have unlimited funds, so I’m trying to be strategic about where to put money first.

I’m currently looking into Columbia’s STAR program. Should I also be looking at Maze’s ESSM, or is it basically the same idea? Has anyone done one before moving to surgery?

Hormones (Apr 10, 2026)

• FSH: 26.2 mIU/mL
• LH: 11.85 mIU/mL
• Total testosterone: 243 ng/dL (lab ref 197-670)
• Prolactin: 8.9 ng/mL
• Free testosterone: 6.66 ng/dL (Aug 2025)

Genetics

• Karyotype: 46,XY
• Y-chromosome microdeletion (AZF) test: negative

Other

• No medications, no steroids or testosterone, nonsmoker, 1-2 drinks a month, exercise regularly
• No risk factors found on history or exam
• Partner has no known fertility issues

My urologist said micro-TESE success is about 40-60% overall, and probably under 50% for me because of the FSH, though some studies say otherwise.

What I’m looking for:

1. Has anyone with FSH in the 20s found sperm with micro-TESE?
2. Experiences with STAR or ESSM, and whether you did that before surgery?
3. Surgeons or clinics you’d recommend in the Mountain West (Utah, Colorado, Washington), and what you paid out of pocket?
4. Anything you wish you’d done or asked earlier?

Thanks for reading. Any advice or just hearing from people who’ve been through it would mean a lot.

Has anyone gotten there inhibin b tested? I got all sorts of labs done and I was diagnosed with non obstructive azoospermia 4 years ago but recently did some new labs. Inhibin b was undetectable (less than 4) FSH was elevated at 28.1 and LH was elevated at 15.7. All this gave me an answer as well of Sertoli Cell Dysfunction. I had recently seen a doctor, absolutely amazing, who created a high frequency ultrasound to determine if any sperm germ cells could be present. However in my case, there were some signs of possible sperm, but those areas unfortunately were scarring when the biopsy was sent off. It showed 60% of the tubules contained Sertoli cells and 40% were scarred. Now with that only being a single biopsy, it may not represent the entire testicle but because of how severe the scarring is, I was given the 5% chance of finding sperm if I will proceed with the mTESTE. He mentioned if I would be interested in trying a reboot protocol that involves taking testosterone plus HCG for several weeks to lower FSH production. Once FSH has been suppressed for a couple weeks, we would re-introduce HCG and FSH to see if the testicles can be stimulated. This would be done to try to salavage any of those Sertoli cells to get some of them to be functional. If there is a rise in the inhibin B, then a MicroTeste could be the next step with a 5% chance of finding sperm. Also, if anyone has gotten the MicroTeste done, were you told to be on testosterone for the rest of your life? We are both just at a loss at this point and we are hoping to get any sort of answers from any men or couples who have had similar results to ours. This community has helped me not feel alone, but I am just tired.

I'm going to try to make a long story short, but in essence:

Started showing low testosterone symptoms in summer of '25, went to the doctor and got officially diagnosed with low T, and was put on Clomid 50mg EOD. Prior to starting the Clomid, FSH was 14, now it's in the 40's. T levels are good, E's are fine but could be better, but now I'm azoospermic. I've had 2 SA's in a 5mo span after we realized my wife wasn't getting pregnant anymore. In 2025 she had 3 pregnancies, all resulting in early miscarriage. She also had another miscarriage in 2023, but that one lasted longer, up until (I believe) 20 weeks.

Yesterday I had my first consultation with a reproductive urologist, and she basically told me that:

1. My typical urologist is an idiot for not doing a SA prior to starting Clomid
2. My high initial FSH indicated that something was already wrong
3. It's likely that I was either already azoospermic or severely compromised before starting Clomid

This is extremely concerning, for obvious reasons, but also because not much has changed in the 3 years that me and my wife have been together. The only thing that I can immediately think of is my weight gain. In 2023 I was 200-205lbs and around 25-26% body fat (I was in the gym a lot), but now I'm 226 and ~31% body fat after putting in some effort to lose weight. I peaked at nearly 240lbs and 37% BF

Can anyone provide any insight on their own experiences with something similar? I'm trying very hard not to spiral, and I know that getting back in the gym wouldn't hurt, but I also know that it's probably pure copium to think that something like this can be fixed just by lifting again.

I was diagnosed with varicocel grade 1 with no reflux on my right testicule, I'm going to the gym 3 -4 times a week .

Should i stop definitely the gym , or are there some precautions or exercises i should avoid?

I need help, please

This is the place for partner's perspectives today.

35m Daily cannabis user for 17 years (3-4x daily, bong). Normal BMI and very active. 2 or so drinks a day with dinner. First SA came back with pretty low count around 10M after 82 days total cannabis abstinence, everything else looked relatively “normal”.

Started Bird & Be Men’s pre natal + CoQ10 and now over 115 days cannabis free. Cut back on alcohol, have started jogging 5-6x a week about 30-45 minutes a day, and hoping that things will start to improve. Any advice? Will see a urologist if no improvement or pregnancy in a few months.

Me and my girlfriend where trying for over two years with no success we went for tests and where told that they would be giving her injection shots to release her eggs we done 5 courses of those with no results. We have no broke up mainly because of the stress of the whole situation. I contacted my gp and got a date for a semen test. I got my results yesterday and here’s what I received back. I’m 37 years old with no kids & feel like time is ticking away for me.

Sperm concentration: 28.9 million
Total count: 121 million
Progressive motility: 63%
Total motility 69%
Immotile: 31%
Morphology 1%

Alguém que teve esse diagnóstico o que ajudou a motilidade aumentar mais ? Os meus estão imóveis mas tem espermatozoides

Everything is in the title. Our ICSI is scheduled in November but I'm very confused about the lab results.

First SA: 450k sperms (~30% ish motility)

First freezing attempt: None found

Second SA: 50k sperms (48%) motility

Second freezing attemp: 2 sperms found, unable to freeze

My oligospermia is extremely severe but my SA results gave me hope that ICSI would be a good option for us and we were looking forward to it. But the fertility preservation center has widely different results which makes me think that we might not even qualify for an ICSI, my wife and I are devastated.

Has this happened to any of you? I have an extended sperm search using the microdroplet technique scheduled in 2 weeks which will determine whether we can proceed with IVF or not... Is there hope?

This is the place for partner's perspectives today.

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.

This is the place for partner's perspectives today.

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!