“One in eight American couples will experience infertility. And did you know that in over 40 percent of all cases the problem is actually with the man.”
Dave & Sarah: Trying to Conceive with Male Factor Infertility
Childhood sweethearts, Dave and Sarah, knew they wanted to build a family of their own. After eleven months of trying to conceive, Sarah spoke with her gynecologist who suggested starting with a semen analysis for Dave to rule out any male factor infertility issues.
When the test results came back showing that Dave had very few sperm and the quality of the sperm came back inconclusive. “I just felt like there was something wrong with me – I felt like a failure,” says Dave. The next step was to see a urologist for more testing. After several semen analysis, which in a normal sample would have several million, Dave’s samples came back with just 12 sperm.
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Treating Male Factor Infertility
As a couple they ruled out the use of donor sperm to conceive, so sought out the experts at Shady Grove Fertility, where they learned about in vitro fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection – otherwise known as IVF with ICSI.
IVF with ICSI, you need just one viable sperm which will be injected into the egg to create an embryo. Reproductive Endocrinologist, Isaac E. Sasson, M.D., Ph.D of Shady Grove Fertility’s Chesterbrook, PA office explains, “The embryologist is able to find just a very few sperm, so when we would get eggs from Sarah and we get ten eggs from Sarah, I just need ten sperm from Dave.”
Dr. Sasson goes on to explain that the embryologist will then select individual sperm from Dave’s sample and inject it directly into each of Sarah’s eggs.
Watch Dave & Sarah share their male factor infertility story on the Katie Couric Show.
- Washington Post: “Former Capital Dave Steckel opens up about fertility struggles”
- 5 Signs You May Need to See a Reproductive Endocrinologist
If you suspect male factor infertility or have been having trouble conceiving for six months to a year, it may be time to speak with a reproductive endocrinologist. Shady Grove Fertility’s team of dedicated New Patient Liaisons are available to answer your questions and schedule a consultation with a physician. Call 877-971-7755 or click to schedule an appointment.
