What is azoospermia?
Azoospermia means the absence of any sperms in the semen.
What are the main reasons for azoospermia?
- Failure of the testicles to produce the sperms
- Block in the sperm conducting passage
My semen test shows no sperm. What should I do?
Repeat the test after a few days, preferably from a second laboratory. Sometimes, careful examination may reveal few sperms. If the second test also suggests no sperms, we need to find out the cause by some tests.
What is the actual treatment?
In most cases, sperms are collected from the testicles by a fine needle (TESA) or small cut (TESE). These sperms are used for ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection), where the sperms are directly injected, under the microscope, inside the eggs collected from the wife.
What are the chances that sperms can be collected from my body?
If there is an obstruction, the chance is nearly 100%. That means, out of 100 such men, almost all cases, sperms can be obtained from his body. If it’s due to inadequate sperm production from the testes, then the chance of collecting sperms is 50-60%.
When donor sperm is used?
If a man cannot afford ICSI, donor insemination an alternative. But it is done only with consent from both husband and wife. The process will remain confidential.