The initial evaluation of a man’s fertility includes a reproductive history and a semen analysis.

Reproductive history

Your fertility doctor will begin with a basic interview that includes questions about the man’s health:

• Childhood diseases, such as mumps

• Developmental problems such as pubertas precox or tarda /early or delayed puberty/

• Signs of hormone deficiency

• Past injury or surgery to the male reproductive organs or spinal cord

• Systematic illnesses, such as diabetes, hypertension and allergies

• Lifestyle questions, including your exercise, smoking and drug use

• Sexual life, including STD and assessment of erectile dysfunction

• Exposures to gonadotoxins

• Duration of infertility, family reproductive history and previous fertility treatment

After getting acquainted with your reproductive history and previous tests, your fertility doctor will refer you for new (if expired) or further diagnostic tests. The most common types of tests are described in this section.