Is it possible that I’m not producing semen?
Question:
I have been married for two years, but in those two years, we have had no children. We had a check-up with a doctor. My erections are normal during sex. The doctor suggested that I get a semen test, but I have a feeling that I'm not producing semen. What do I do?
Answer:
If you are able to have sexual intercourse and you are reaching orgasm, then you are ejaculating semen. There are then two possibilities as to why you are not having children:
- There is a problem in your wife's body
- There is a problem in your body
Because the reproductive organs are internal on a woman, checking them is difficult and can be expensive. Therefore it is easier and less expensive to start by checking the man first. What the doctor needs is a sample of your semen to look at with a microscope. He will count the number of sperm that he sees in an area to estimate how many sperm you are releasing with each ejaculation. He will also count how many sperm are viable (that looks healthy and active). A healthy adult male releases about a half-billion sperm with each ejaculation. Generally, it is thought that for a husband to produce children, he must release at least 50,000 viable sperm with each ejaculation.
Once it is determined that you are not having a problem, then the doctor will order tests for your wife to see if there are problems on her end.
