To Honor November, Men’s Health Month, Shady Grove Fertility (SGF) Reminds the Community How Common Male Infertility Is—Present in 40 to 50 Percent of Infertility Cases


SGF’s in-house board certified reproductive urologists, Paul Shin, M.D., and Cori Tanrikut, M.D., both named Washingtonian Top Docs in Urology, 2019

Without testing the male partner up front, many patients have later realized it was a male factor all along and could have saved themselves precious time, money, and effort had they known.

In approximately 40 to 50 percent of infertility cases, a male factor is present and is either causing the couple’s inability to conceive, or contributing to the cause.

SGF’s Center for Male Fertility offers a range of male services including basic evaluation and testing to state-of-the-art microsurgical techniques including varicocele repair, vasectomy reversal, and vasectomy, as well as percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) and testicular sperm extraction (TESE) for in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Led by Shady Grove Fertility’s in-house board certified reproductive urologists, Paul Shin, M.D., and Cori Tanrikut, M.D., SGF’s Center for Male Fertility was designed to provide integrated care that’s unique to SGF and offers comprehensive male infertility services to ensure continuity of care and communication for both partners before, during, and after treatment.

“While male factor infertility is often very treatable, many couples are still surprised to learn that infertility can arise from problems with either partner, male or female. Many think of infertility as a woman’s problem because she is the one to ultimately carry the baby. That’s far from the truth,” says Dr. Shin.

As a new resource for information-seekers, SGF produced a “Frequently Asked Questions” video with Dr. Shin, designed to set the record straight about male infertility, including the importance of early male testing.

“Our research tells us that only 44 percent of couples complete fertility testing at the same time. That’s not ideal. Without testing the male partner up front, many patients have later realized it was a male factor all along and could have saved themselves precious time, money, and effort had they known,” reminds Shin.

“A simple semen analysis can help uncover if there’s an issue with the sperm that we need to consider,” added Tanrikut. “SGF performs more than 20,000 semen analyses and sperm washings every year, so patients can have peace of mind in the reliability of our testing. Further, our experienced andrologists review each semen sample for higher reliability, unlike many other labs that rely on computer-assisted semen analyses (CASA). We find CASA to be less accurate and objective than the human eye; a manual semen analysis allows for more accurate diagnosis,” adds Tanrikut.

“It’s important for men who are trying to conceive to take inventory of how long they’ve been having unprotected intercourse with their partner if she hasn’t become pregnant. If it’s been 1 year and she’s under 35, or 6 months and she’s 35-39, or 3 months if she’s 40 or older, it’s time to see a fertility specialist. Also, if there are any existing conditions that could be affecting their ability to conceive—low testosterone, erectile dysfunction (ED), problems ejaculating—it’s time to see a specialist,” advises Tanrikut.

To view SGF’s Male Fertility On-Demand Webinar or browse E-books and other education resources on topics such as men’s health and much more, visit https://www.shadygrovefertility.com/resources/educational-resources.

Patients outside of the practice may be referred directly to Dr. Shin or Dr. Tanrikut for diagnostic testing, evaluation, and/or treatment for male infertility or SGF’s no-needle, no-scalpel vasectomy services. To schedule a new patient consult, contact the SGF New Patient Center at 1-888-761-1967 or complete a brief online form.

About Shady Grove Fertility (SGF)

SGF is a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence with more than 85,000 babies born and counting. With 36 locations throughout FL, GA, MD, NY, PA, VA, D.C., and Santiago, Chile, we offer patients individualized care, accept most insurance plans, and make treatment affordable through innovative financial options, including treatment guarantees. More physicians refer their patients to SGF than any other center. Call 1-888-761-1967 or visit ShadyGroveFertility.com.

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