[chicago311]

First, just a quick background on my situation:

My wife and I have one child, which we had no problem conceiving. We are both in our mid-30s and have been trying to conceive again. This time, we have been trying for quite a while without success. Because of our ages, we decided to be proactive by seeking out medical advice relatively quickly. I was diagnosed has having bilateral varicoceles -- one moderate and one small.

As a result, I had my semen analyzed. Having been told that in 80% of cases of secondary infertility (trouble conceiving after at least one successful conception) a varicocele is present, I had prepared myself for the news that my semen was deficient in some respect.

To my surprise, my semen analysis was very good. My numbers were:

Concentration: 157
Percent Good Motility: 80
Percent Normal Morphology: 23

If you're familiar with SA, you know these numbers are very good.

So now to my point: There is a lot of controversy surrounding varicoceles and their affects on male fertility. In checking out some of these forums, I have seen comments suggesting that people think varicoceles are the kiss of death for male fertility. I have also seen comments suggesting people think varicoceles are the sole reason for their poor semen analysis.

Prior to getting my SA, I read a lot about varicoceles and discovered that a vast majority of men with varicoceles are able to conceive.

So whether you have already found out that the male in your partnership has "poor" semen and a varicocele or whether you have just been diagnosed has having a varicocele, don't let the presence of a varicocele cause you to shut your eyes to other possibilities. Given my situation, I am increasingly convinced that varicoceles play a relatively minor role in sperm quality/quanity unless the varicocele has been present for a very long time.

I am by no means a doctor. And I'm certainly no expert on varicoceles. But I do know that people should keep an open mind about whether their varicocele is the root cause of the problem. I know first-hand how frustrating this is for people and I don't want people to either get overly upset about a varicocele or overly excited about the potential outcome of varicocele repair. Because in my case, having a varicocele seems to be having no impact on my sperm quality or quanity whatsoever.