If you’re trying to have a baby and all your efforts have not paid off, you’re likely going in for some tests to see what the issue is.
Here, from the front lines, are a few things you might encounter.
First, if your wife’s OB/GYN gives her a lab request for a sperm sample and suggests a location for the occasion, don’t make any assumptions. You may find yourself in a regular blood lab that also does other analysis. Imagine your amazement, when in front of 20 elderly and sick patients waiting for a blood draw, you’re told to go in the men’s room and masturbate into a specimen jar. This is likely not something you’ve done since you were 16. Take it from us, it’s definitely not that easy with no stimulation other than the grey toilet stall dividers. Our advice: If your wife hands you the lab slip, call first to get an idea for what the clinic is and its facilities. Ask whether you can pick up a specimen container and “produce the sample” at home, and whether that is possible given timing issues