semen testing
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Category: Planning Pregnancy (trying for baby)
Forum Name: Planning Pregnancy (trying for baby)
Forum Description: Trying to get pregnant? Going through fertility treatment? Just planning your first or second child? There are many people out there in the same boat to help and listen and share with
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7477
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Topic: semen testing
Posted By: topcat
Subject: semen testing
Date Posted: 12 May 2007 at 11:16pm
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Has anyone got any hints, I have been off the pill for nearly two years and TTC for 13months... GP ready to refer for fertility advise (i'm 33 years old) but first have to have hubbys semen tested...
But medication he takes means we cant seem to get this when we need it. Almost impossible by hand, was going to try with special non- spermicidal condoms but managed to get one from fetility clinic at $45 each!!! So trying to bide time and make sure its likely to happen.... I am getting depressed as thought would be on a waiting list to be seen by now and we havent even got the referral in til we get the semen testing done! Any advice much appreciated 
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Replies:
Posted By: AlyAyde
Date Posted: 13 May 2007 at 8:48am
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tricky. I wonder if you gave a BJ and just as he was about to cum get the little pottle or even put some in after? Maybe dont tell him thats why your doing the blow chore as he might get stage fright. ------------- Jayde 25/12/04 Alyssa 08/04/03 http://Alyayde.bebo.com |
Posted By: ginger
Date Posted: 13 May 2007 at 10:31am
topcat - depending on your financial situation, it is well worth it to jump the waiting-list queue and get into a specialist by self-referral (eg. make the appointment yourself, and tell them yo're referring yourself. Fertility Associates claim that this is how the majority of their patients come to them). We did this, and the appointment cost us $175.00. Well worth it to cut out months of hanging around. Once you get the referral in AKl, I think the waiting list is a good few months long by going public 
The specialist you see will still require a semen analysis - we've done all of that ourselves, and he still wants it done again. So, I don't think that not having it done before you see a specialist will make a big difference to be honest. The semen analysis that they run at standard labs tests for morphology (how the sperm look), motility (how they move) and count. But, the ones that FA run also look at how long they survive post-ejac, and ...crap. Something else important  plus, because they are looking at sperm all the time, they give a much more accurate morphology analysis (apparently local labs are a bit crap at idenitfying what is actually bad, and what isn't).
The semen analysis that we have to do through FA will cost around $80.00. I think depending on how much they test for relates to cost, so it could end up costing you more ...but it's worth it. You can also gain a sample via interrupted sex if that's another option for you? Oh, and by going private, this doesn't affect anything as far as dealing with the public system for fertility treatments either. Have you done ovulation tests, and charted or whatever to see whether you are ovulating? ------------- Cuinn Lachlan 23.1.09 - 22:00 Antonia Helene 4.8.11 - 09:41 |
Posted By: ginger
Date Posted: 13 May 2007 at 8:36pm
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Huh. I didn't know that ...
You learn something new every day!  ------------- Cuinn Lachlan 23.1.09 - 22:00 Antonia Helene 4.8.11 - 09:41 |
Posted By: Lulu
Date Posted: 14 May 2007 at 3:27pm
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interrupted BJ for sperm analysis is fine though... ------------- Lou http://www.babysfirstsite.com"> 
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Posted By: tropics
Date Posted: 14 May 2007 at 5:27pm
| Ive just been to FA and DH has to have a sperm test and the instructions say dont have sex 3 days prior but no more than 7 days prior....also says do not use lube or condom and has to be delivered within 1 hour.... |
Posted By: topcat
Date Posted: 16 May 2007 at 5:39pm
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Thanks guys,
i thought of the BJ also, but read lots of stuff about saliva and lubricant etc killing sperm - although I alluded to GP that there could be some "contaminants" in the sample (lol) and he said not to worry. Wont matter if hubby knows he is just as frustrated. I also wondered about paying to go privately for the first appointment too, we cant afford treatment privately but the budget would stretch to the odd test, consultation... But I wasnt sure if I could do this and then switch to public?? Also I live in Manukau and FA is city and my GP said I have to go through counties manukau if publicly... does anyone know how this works??? The timing thing could also be a problem between the abstinence and the sample, but we'll cross that bridge later I guess... 
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Posted By: bumblefoot
Date Posted: 16 May 2007 at 7:32pm
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Um cant they 'surgically' remove a sample of his semen? It involves a needle into the bollocks but if he is willing... Not sure I can be anymore help...
Best of luck tho, and I know all about the waiting for the docs, seems to take forever doesnt it? ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: ginger
Date Posted: 17 May 2007 at 9:24am
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You can switch topcat. DH and I are going privately at the moment, we're going to (and can!) put ourselves on the public waiting list for IVf, but we're also saving to do a private cycle in the meantime.There's no problem at all with the switch.
As for the semen analysis, if you're doing the free one your Dr orders, it actually has to be delivered to one particular lab in Ellerslie. You can't just take it to any old diagnostic medlab unfortunately as they don't have the facilities/lab to do the testing. If you're going through FA, then it has to go to the FA lab in the clinic. Don't worry - DH has done one test already and made it in OK (just pick your time of day!) - we live in Hillpark (Manurewa), and he has to do another dash today to FA for more intensive sample testing. The removal of sperm from the testes is related to IVF treatments ...I don't think that they would do it for and analysis sample. I imagine the assumption would be that if you have to go that far to get a sample for analysis, that's your problem in TTC!  ------------- Cuinn Lachlan 23.1.09 - 22:00 Antonia Helene 4.8.11 - 09:41 |
Posted By: pikelets
Date Posted: 17 May 2007 at 7:12pm
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Hi Topcat
We too are going to go private with FA in June after 2 yrs of trying. We decided to do that and pay for "cheaper" options and save our IVF for public funding. Just to let you know (if you havent read it on the forum already) some medical insurances will pay for your consultation to see the fertility specilist - they just wont pay for treatment. So if you have medical insurance definately check it out with them. Good luck with getting the sample 
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Posted By: topcat
Date Posted: 21 May 2007 at 9:05am
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Thanks everybody for all your help. I have been in touch with my GP and we now have an appt with FA in June also... will definitely look into the insurance thing too, thanks Star.
I think you are probably right Ginger, that TTC will be related to difficulty in obtaining semen timing etc... But I guess at this point we just want to know if conception is possible to stop all the heartbreak each month! We also live in Manurewa (wattle downs) so I guess we battle the traffic too for timing, we were aware of the requirement to deliver to lab in ellerslie, but since we haveing trouble obtaining sample, will also take this up with FA and see what they say fingers crossed |