Tests men should request from their doctor to assess underlying issues that affect and contribute to male factor fertility

There are tests for men that can be helpful to determine their hormones. Tests that will show where his hormones are at and what needs to be done to address the imbalances or "normal" levels to be optimized for fertility health. Below are the tests and their relevance to Male fertility.

• Fasting insulin. The effects of diabetes mellitus include long-term damage, dysfunctions, and failures of various organs. An important complication of diabetes is the disturbance in the male reproductive system. Glucose metabolism is an important event in spermatogenesis. Moreover, glucose metabolism is also important for maintaining basic cell activity, as well as specific functions, such as motility and fertilization ability in mature sperm. Diabetic disease and experimentally induced diabetes both demonstrated that either type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes could have detrimental effects on male fertility, especially on sperm quality, such as sperm motility, sperm DNA integrity, and ingredients of seminal plasma. PMID: 25814158

• Hemoglobin A1C. A study indicated that diabetic plasma affected all sperm motility parameters with high HbA1c showing the most important deleterious effects. PMID: 33167064

• Homocysteine. Hyperhomocysteinemia may affect the reproductive process within various levels by poor oocyte quality, male infertility due to abnormal morphology, low sperm concentrations, loss of motility, congenital malformation, miscarriage, hypertension, and low birth weight. PMID: 22271234

• What is Hyperhomocysteinemia? - refers to the condition where there is greater than 15 micromol/L of homocysteine in the blood. This condition is present in a wide range of diseases, and in many cases, it is an independent risk factor for more serious medical conditions.

• hs-CPR. A study suggests that hs-CRP may be of value as an inflammatory marker for the assessment of erectile dysfunction risk and may play an important role in the etiology of erectile dysfunction. And ED is crucial for fertility. PMID: 30976039

• Testosterone levels. Knowing the testosterone level will help identify and address this issue. Such issues are decreased libido, decreased mood, and erectile dysfunction. Knowing the levels will definitely help how to optimize testosterone levels and improve the underlying reasons why these things are happening. PMID: 30350483

• LH & FSH - these two hormones are responsible for the production of sperm

• SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding-Globulin). Low SHBG levels result in decreased sperm count and sperm mass and thus increase the risk of male infertility. The symptoms of high SHBG vary between men and women. In both, however, it may cause decreased sex drive, infertility, reduced bone, and muscle mass, and decreased energy levels. Also if the level is high, it is an indicator of liver disease.

• Vitamin D. Optimal level of Vitamin D has a positive effect on human male fertility potential, particularly through better sperm motility. PMID: 31190482

•  Lipid Panel. The study of lipid panels towards male fertility showed that the men with increased total cholesterol were positively correlated with sperm motility. PMID: 28091400

•  Liver enzymes. Low levels of liver enzymes may be associated with irreversible structural and functional changes in the testes, reducing fertility, decreasing potential pregnancy rate, and affecting its development. PMID: 29515688

• TSH. If left untreated, an underactive thyroid can lead to male infertility. Studies show that low thyroid hormone levels in men can cause poor semen quality, low sperm count, reduced testicular function, erectile dysfunction, and a drop in libido. PMID: 24312078

• CBC. Leukocytospermia and hematospermia are defined as the presence of abnormally high white blood cell and red blood cell concentrations in the semen, respectively. Numerous etiologies and various implications on fertility have been identified. PMID: 32577619

• Uric Acid. Uric acid contributes to preserving and enhancing sperm motility, viability, and morphology, which in turn protects sperm function. This contribution is achieved principally by counteracting the damaging effect of oxidizing (e.g., reactive oxygen species and toxins) and nitrating agents. PMID: 30065172

• Magnesium. It was also found in vivo that magnesium increases sperm motility, while sperm production increases up to 80%. Decreased levels of magnesium lead to premature emission and ejaculation processes. Magnesium is probably involved in semen transport.

•  Potassium. The presence of potassium in the seminal plasma (or in the extender medium) is necessary in order to maintain sperm volume, intracellular pH, and sperm motility. PMID: 27693817

•  Vitamin B-12. The beneficial effects of vitamin B12 on semen quality may be due to increased functionality of reproductive organs, decreased homocysteine toxicity, reduced amounts of generated nitric oxide, decreased levels of oxidative damage to sperm, reduced amount of energy produced by spermatozoa, decreased inflammation-induced semen impairment, and control of nuclear factor-κB activation. PMID: 28598359

• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel. Contribute to your overall health and provide information on the functioning status of your metabolism, liver, and kidneys which are all crucial to be tested as to how to optimize fertility health.

So, testing is essential not just for fertility health but for overall health as well. But in order to know how the support will be going and how it should be done, testing is vital to address the underlying reason why getting pregnant is elusive.

When initial tests are done, this way, your holistic fertility doctor will be able to recognize the kind of treatment and plan needed to address the underlying issues. Tests are needed again to verify the results of the plan or the treatment. We should always bare in mind that we need to test and not guess because, through comprehensive tests, the answers will be uncovered.