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Little Cup-'o'-Phobia

Overcoming Fear of Sperm Count

By Johnathon Allen

Kelly Minnis of Seattle, Wash., agrees. "Doing an SA test is definitely an odd and uncomfortable experience," he says. "The first time wasn't so bad because the nurse brought me a stack of Playboys, turned the light down and locked the door. The second time was in the same room, but I had a different nurse who didn't dim the lights, lock the door or give me any magazines; I actually had to go back out and ask for them. That was the most embarrassing thing about it."

"One reason a man may not want to submit to fertility testing is an unequal desire in the relationship to have children," says Dr. Weinrich. "If the woman is anxious to get pregnant, but the man is less so, it gives him an opportunity to avoid the issue."

"We've been trying for a number of years to get pregnant," Minnis explains. "It's a process that is exceedingly important for us, and that certainly makes it easier to deal with the oddity of testing. I couldn't imagine going through all of it if we weren't so motivated to create a family."

Another significant reason men might be hesitant is the fact that fertility testing is not a one-shot deal, but a step in a larger process. After a man produces an initial sample, the fluid is sent to a lab and analyzed for a wide range of things. Variations invariably occur between tests, even in the same person, and often the test needs to be repeated.

"If the test comes back abnormal, the first step is to repeat it," says Dr. Michael Kettel, a reproductive specialist at the San Diego Fertility Center. "Every man is entitled to a bad day and sometimes a single semen analysis is not a true reflection of his fertility. If the test is consistently abnormal then this represents a significant factor in the fertility of the couple, but there are many different ways to do a semen analysis and not all laboratories perform it the same way."

Want to see more?

• When is it Time to See an Infertility Specialist?
• Achieving Pregnancy: 10 Tips for Men
• Eight Ways to Help Improve Male Fertility
• Talk about it!