Infertility

Home Semen Analysis

I'm curious to see if anyone has tried this home semen analysis where you ship it off fed ex in this special container... Despite having a very shy man on my hands who is really uncomfortable with the idea of giving a semen sample... (Never mind all the crap that I've had to go through but we won't go there), we are also dealing with difficulties in getting appointments and dragging out what has already been a 3 year process (not long to some, but what seems like a lifetime to us). 

Being a tech myself, I think this is a really neat idea.  So I'm just trying to see if anyone here has tried this, and if they have met with any success.  I've attempted to find reviews, but the company is so prolific in their advertising and net presence that I just get page after page of their stuff (which certainly is not unbiased).  The doctor who has begun this process is an infertility expert so apparently he knows what he's doing and has created a system with the necessary tools to keep the sperm in an environment where they are kept alive long enough for them to do the analysis.  It seems legit, but had to say with no real life reviews other the testimonials on their site (and it's not as if they'll put bad reviews on their site).

Now for my venting process:  I'm getting a little desperate here because, I've been jerked around by doctors left and right, my previous doctor wasting a year of my life and not completing the standard necessary tests before trying to send me to a specialist, who is not in my network, my current doctor is a christian, which is great, so am I, but because my man and I are not married yet (we're doing things a little backwards) she would not give him a referral to the local lab, stating that my insurance won't cover him because he's not my husband.  I called another local doctor and asked what I need to do to have him seen so we can get a referral and they asked If I was a patient, I explained the situation and the nurse says to me... "Well I can certainly see her point. But you're the patient."  Really?  You know, I thought they were doctors, what give them the right to judge me?  How I'm living my life is between me and God and it's really  none of their business besides the clinical aspects of it. (Done venting).

Re: Home Semen Analysis

  • I'm so sorry for all that you've been through. I don't have any experience with the in home SA. I guess it might be worth a shot but first I'd want to find out if 1.) it's legit in that the sperm would be viable to be tested after that length of time (between collection and being analyzed) and 2.) if you do that and get results, will the RE you're seeing accept those results or want to run their own SA (as many of them do).

    Regarding your doctor situation: Did they say they wouldn't refer you based on the fact that you're not married or because he's not covered on your insurance? Keep in mind, even if you were married, unless he's listed on and covered under your policy, he wouldn't be covered for any testing anyway, he'd have to go through his own insurance or if he didn't have his own insurance and wasn't listed on yours, any testing on him would be OOP (out of pocket).

    If they're simply not referring you because you're not married...I'd find a new doctor! Regardless of his insurance coverage, if you need a referral through your insurance to see a RE, they should give you one. GL!

    TTC 12/2009
    Me: 32 - Stage II Endo / DH: 36 - Low count and morphology (1%)
    IUIs 1-3 BFN, lap Dec. 2010, IUIs 4-6 BFN
    IVF w/ICSI #1 - ER 2/8: 24R 19M 9F ET 2/13 2-5 day blasts (no frosties) = BFP - b/g twins!
    E & C Born 10/19/2012
    Lilypie First Birthday tickers
  • Jessicandavies:  Thank you for your support.  From everything I can see this guy is like a major fertility doctor, and it seems legit based on the certifications and standards.  My current doctor was going to send me to labcorp or some such but the place that actually does the semen testing is like 2 hours away from me.  Very inconvenient.  If nothing else I'm hoping to at least rule him as the problem out.  Regardless of whether they'll accept the results or not.  If I flat out tell her he's been tested and shows that he's fine, I'm hoping she'll move on to other avenues on me. 

    My current, and new doctor-- maybe I'm being sensitive, but based on a bible in every exam room, the christian music piped throughout (which I initially found soothing), and her reaction to the explanation that we're not married, despite her saying... "okay, that's okay"... she actually gave me a disapproving laugh and then another "okay.. that's fine."  Again, I could be making this up in my head being self conscious about my situation.  But I told her he doesn't have the same insurance as me.  She then wanted further explanation where in I offered it up.  She went into how his not being my husband it is illegal to file it through my insurance.  But she never offered up that he could do it oop.  And she certainly never offered to give a referral to labcorp for him to do it opp.

    This is only my second time seeing her. Both visits I found her to the point and quick.  (Only saw her 5 minutes the first time before ordering her labs and about that amount of time this time).  I haven't been able to get a totally good read on her but I can tell you I'm not super confident with this, but the problem is... This is my 3rd OB... 1st one I lost when I moved (and i loved her), 2nd one seemed all hung up on my age (the super old age of 40 at the time) and he threw his hands up in the air without ever asking for a semen sample and without ever testing my  progesterone levels or any of the other things I have seen other women discuss. He referred me to a specialist out of network that I needed my PMC to refer me to, my PMC literally drug his feet for 8 months before I finally got myself a new PMC with what should have been a referral to a specialist.  Instead I was referred to another ob gyn who also handles infertility.  I was skeptical that she'd be able to help since she isn't an RE.  I was elated when this woman had a full blood panel and even she was floored that no one took a semen sample from fiance... 

    So the long long of it is, that I don't know if she's going to be a pain or not but  geeze... I've been hopping from doctor to doctor just to get a NORMAL standard of care here, that I hate to schedule yet another doctor appointment for yet another referral to yet another OB... (and based on my call to another local ob and her attitude about my not being married as well i'm not sure what good that will do). Sorry I'm rambling I know, I'm just so beyond frustrated at this point.  I was up all night crying. Meanwhile my fiance is hedging about having to even give semen sample (he's really shy) so I have that to deal with ... I just want to jump off the nearest high place!!!

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  • I'm so sorry you've been tossed around like that. I would head for the hills if my doctor had a Bible and Christian music in the exam room (and I'm a Christian).

    At this point (based on your previous losses and especially your age) you need to see a RE, not an OB/GYN (not even one who specializes in IF). It astounds me that the "specialist" you saw didn't think to run a SA on your fiance'. A full fertility work up is necessary for you AND your significant other.

    Where in NC are you? I'm in Charlotte and go to REACH which is just south of Uptown. They don't require a referral to see you (though your insurance might). My H has his own insurance (he's not covered under mine) and his SA through REACH was 100% OOP (he has IF coverage but is on a high deductible plan) but, it only cost $130...somewhere around there (small potatoes in the world of IF). There's also the CMC Women's Institute in this area (a friend of mine goes there and she really likes it).

    GL to you. Feel free to message me anytime.

     

    TTC 12/2009
    Me: 32 - Stage II Endo / DH: 36 - Low count and morphology (1%)
    IUIs 1-3 BFN, lap Dec. 2010, IUIs 4-6 BFN
    IVF w/ICSI #1 - ER 2/8: 24R 19M 9F ET 2/13 2-5 day blasts (no frosties) = BFP - b/g twins!
    E & C Born 10/19/2012
    Lilypie First Birthday tickers
  • If you are over 40 you should be seeing an RE that specializes in AMA patients. Period. Many offices allow your partner to bring in his sample from home. 

    I have no experience with at home SA but we did have a SCSA done. We went through the clinic that did a wash and SA before the SCSA, but you can do it directly from your home. I'm not saying you need to have the SCSA performed, I'm just saying that shipping frozen sperm from a live sample is possible. Albeit expensive. Details are on the SCSADiagnostics website if you are interested in how another company does this, but the blurb is:

    Samples are shipped in a pre-cooled shipper that we can provide either at ambient or pre-chilled temperatures. The pre-cooled shipper will be sent in a mushroom shaped container unless specified to be shipped in a box. The round trip cost for a dry shipper in the continental United States is $150.00. Shipping costs to other destinations may vary. For example, round trip shipping to Canada costs approximately $300 US. 

    Perhaps you can find your own RE and have your PMC refer you to your choice. 

    +++
  • I first went to an ob/gyn for IF issues.  She told me that my DH needed an S/A however she could not give him a referral for it because he was not her patient.  SHe told me to have him call his primary care doctor to get the referral.  This is probably why your ob/gyn can't do it.  

    We then moved and I went to an RE right away.  For my first appointment they took both of our information and medical histories and insurance.  He was able to do his S/A there.

    I would not do a mail order S/A.  DH travels a lot and we talked to RE about alternate ways to do a S/A and he told us that the best, most accurate results come from a fresh sample.  Good luck!

    DaisypathAnniversary Years Ticker 

    BabyFruit Ticker
  • hmm... i can definitely relate to the dr. trouble.... i remember when i was in my early twenties i went to my gyn at the time because i was having horrible pain during sex (in my stable adult relationship!) and he told me that "if it hurt, then it means i probably shouldn't be doing it". um WTH??!!! needless to say i quickly found a new gyn and it turned out i had dermoid cysts. it is horrible that drs. carry around their own personal agendas, im so sorry you have to go through this..

    So, with that being said... i went to my ob/gyn in early march of this year and told him about our struggles.... He started doing some b/w and ultrasounds on me but wanted to wait to do an HSG until my DH got an SA.  He sent over the acquisition form to a "labcorp-ey"  type place that only does SA's in my area.  Now, we did need the acquisition form from my dr. but it wouldn't have mattered if he was my husband, and it wouldn't have mattered for insurance purposes because the place wouldn't take it anyways.  It was $150 and my dr. called me back with the results.  The place said that we could try to submit to DH's insurance for reimbursement but this very SA gave us our azoo dx so we had other things on our mind.  So, i wonder if there is anyone you could talk to, maybe even your's or your SO's primary care dr. who could give the referral or acquisition form? I don't know much about the mail order SA's but i do know that there are tight temperature and time constraints.... i just wouldn't want you to get false information and cause for concern.

    wish you lots of luck!!

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