# Sperm tests - private or wait for NHS?



## chocolatecat

hi all.
Been TTC for 11 cycles. We used a home sperm test called FERTELL, which OH failed. Our Dr has referred us for a proper sperm count, the date for the appointment has taken nearly a month to arrive, and isn't for another 2 months! (28th Sept). 
So the question is - do we wait for that or get a private one? 
Does anyone have experience of mixing private and NHS tests? I'm not sure what the wait length for IVF is in Sheffield, but we're thinkng if we need it we'll go private if it's much quicker.
I'd really appreciate peoples experiences of NHS and private fertility care - especially if anyone is in Sheffield.

I'm not sure if we can get any NHS help if we start down the private route??? 

Thanks for the help x


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## Farie

Personally I'd use the time to make some lifestyle changes (not that I'm saying your lifestyle is bad) start him on mens vits, keep them cool, diet, organics, but out caffeine, alcohol etc
I know its frustrating, but at least when the test come round you wont be thinking 'we could have done more' and the Dr wont be able to say 'go away and do xyz for 3 months and then we'll test again'


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## twinmom07

I live in the states, but we were referred straight away. We'd been ttc 9 years, so it wasn't something we or they felt we'd want to mess around with more time.

BUT, having said that- we are now after conceiving twins with IUI and no changes, trying changes before going back to the IUI.


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## rachelle1975

Hey hun

I'm with Farie also.
Use the time to make lifestyle changes as it takes 70-90 days for :spermy: to mature - then you will have a much more realisitc answer to whether there is a male fertility issue. Regardless of NHS or Private - if you had an NHS test and were referred to a FS they would want to do there own tests and they would make you wait in order to see if the low result was just a blip or the 'real deal'.
Sometimes having colds, being stressed or poor diet can really affect the results.
Get your OH on some Wellman tablets, take some Maca and buy a fertility book such as Zita Wests and then you can read up on healthy diet changes. I'm sure you will be pleasently surprised when you get your appt :hugs:


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## chocolatecat

thanks guys for your help and advice. 
We've been drinking decaf for months. He doesn't drink too much and he's been taking Zinc for a month, plus wearing lose boxers, linen trousers and no more laptop boiling his balls on his lap!
It looks like it will only be 85 pounds for the test as the NHS clinic does self funding options too. If we can get done earlier I'm happy to pay. I'll give them a ring and see if it's an option.
Thanks for the help.


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## Mrs G

Hi

The thing I would say about NHS tests is that they took an absolute age (nearly a month) for the results to come back. I never understood how a test which must be done immediately they receive the sample can take so long to get the results?? Also we found our gp was rubbish at interpreting the results, in fact we were told everything was fine when it so obviously wasn't.

We paid for a private consultation and now have NHS treatment coming up. I'd check with you PCT though cos I think that in some areas paying means you forfeit your NHS entitlement.

Good luck.


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## StTropez

Hi
We went to our GP and my husband did his sperm test the next week - and the results were phoned to him the same day. which goes to show it can be done! And that was on the NHS - no reason to go private... Although to be referred on to the FS is taking forever, so we've decided to go private for that


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## tansey

We HAD to go private and it cost £80 for a one that they had a quick look at to get an idea - same day.


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## chocolatecat

Thanks for all your thoughts people. 
We can't move the appointment forward by paying using the NHS clinic. We tried phoning Care in Sheffield - but they can't see us unless we're referred by our doctor. As far as I can tell the initial registration is £340! plus £80 - does that sound right to you guys? Or do you think if the Dr refers us we can just do the SA? If there is a problem I think we'd just pay up to get treated earlier - if it takes another month for the results to come back, which will got to our GP not a FS - then if there's a problem we'll have to wait again for an FS referral - we're going to be at this for ages.
Do you think we should just start going private now?

I also have a very short LP and lots of mid-cycle spotting -which might also be a problem (although no PCOS and I ovulate ok according to bloods and temps).

I'm new to all this FS and IVF stuff and I'd really appreciate the advice. We're not rich, but we can not have holidays and spend a bit less to pay for private treatment I think - BUT if we're not going private, we'll book a holiday!


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## Sparklestar

We used FERTELL and it said my OH sperm were fine, when we got referred he was diagnosed with secondary infertility so i think the kits are baaaaddddd, silly things lulling me into a false sense of security!!!

We waitied 3 weeks on the NHS xxx


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## chocolatecat

Hi Sparklestar - sorry that the FERTELL give you a false positive - I guess they do say they can't spot every problem. I do hope you're right and they don't work well and his spermies are ok! 3 weeks sounds great! Very jealous of your speedy PCT.

God - September is so far away - god knows how long we'll be waiting for anything to actually happen if we do need help. By the time the test comes around we'll have been trying for over a year, which means they'll probably want to test me out too. Another long waiting period for the referral I bet. 

I really need to work on my PMA don't I???

Fx for you sparklestar xxx


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## cazd

Heya. Sorry for sneaking in here but OH and I have just had our first round of tests.
We went to the GP and he sent us off for SA and blood tests.

OH drinks lots, doesn't exercise and eats junk food all the time.
I wonder if we're just wasting our time TTC while he's like this.
I'm hoping the test will give him a wake-up call!

Are you talking about a more in-depth SA?

We bought a sperm testing kit from accessdiagnostics online and it showed his sample as borderline OK.


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## Mrs G

I think the home kits only show overall count. Test at a clinic will also show things like morhpology and motility. 

Many people think that lifestyle does play a big part in sperm production so it might be an idea to persuade oh to make some changes. My dh had a SA done just after a week's holiday (of mostly drinking!) and it was terrible compared to the previous one. Scary thing is that it can then take 3 months to put that damage right.

When do you get your results??

xx


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## cazd

Oh blimey... a bad result after just one week of alcohol?!!!
OH put away 2 bottles of wine last night and some whisky!
Dammit - with his sozzled soldiers and 1 ovary no wonder its not happening straight away!

We should get the test results back sometime this week.

Cat - have you had any tests done at all? 

Its just the start of testing for us so I'm curious to find out about it....


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## Mrs G

Sorry, didn't mean to scare you :dohh: 
Sometimes I think men need to hear it from "a professional". I told dh time and time again to make some changes but he wouldn't do a thing until the dr told him too!!

Good luck!


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## cazd

Yeah - You're definitely right. When we decided to make the effort to TTC I got all the books and we both knew he'd have to cut down on the drink. 

but he says 'lots of men drink and they don't have a problem'...

Men huh!


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## Sammy2009

chocolatecat said:


> Thanks for all your thoughts people.
> We can't move the appointment forward by paying using the NHS clinic. We tried phoning Care in Sheffield - but they can't see us unless we're referred by our doctor. As far as I can tell the initial registration is £340! plus £80 - does that sound right to you guys? Or do you think if the Dr refers us we can just do the SA? If there is a problem I think we'd just pay up to get treated earlier - if it takes another month for the results to come back, which will got to our GP not a FS - then if there's a problem we'll have to wait again for an FS referral - we're going to be at this for ages.
> Do you think we should just start going private now?
> 
> I also have a very short LP and lots of mid-cycle spotting -which might also be a problem (although no PCOS and I ovulate ok according to bloods and temps).
> 
> I'm new to all this FS and IVF stuff and I'd really appreciate the advice. We're not rich, but we can not have holidays and spend a bit less to pay for private treatment I think - BUT if we're not going private, we'll book a holiday!

Hi, i think all the NHS times are different. Its hard for me to comment as we went private and it took a week for the SA results (which seems a really long time since some people on here went through the NHS and had the results the same day! But then that was in Spain. In Holland we had 3 SA and we had to wait a week also. We started with a fertility clinic in Spain, had all the tests and then moved to Holland and had to have them all again! :growlmad: We started our second lot of tests with the Dutch clinic in January this year and I have only just got my medication for IVF down regulation NOW! End of flipping July... AND its quicker here as there is no waiting list as its a private medical package throughout the whole of Holland. I know my colleagues sister who lives in the UK has to have IVF and there is a 3 year waiting list for her which is insane. 

The tests do take a long time.... first we had the SA test, then after the results of that we had to wait for another appointment and I had an internal to check my ovaries, womb etc. Then we both had to go and have blood tests for HIV, HEP A, B, C and all that malarkey. Then hubby had to do another SA test. Then he had to have another blood tests to test for cystic fibrosis (everyone has to take this test) and chromosome abnormalities (the waiting time for the results of this test is 3 months as they have to grow the cells - it took forever!) then OH had to have ANOTHER SA test (you have to do 3 so they can take an average) then you have to go for consultation.... its never ending really. Even privately it took us 7 months from beginning to end to get the actual medication in our hands! Its worth it though! Good luck with everything :hugs:


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## Mrs G

cazd said:


> Yeah - You're definitely right. When we decided to make the effort to TTC I got all the books and we both knew he'd have to cut down on the drink.
> 
> but he says 'lots of men drink and they don't have a problem'...
> 
> Men huh!

I know, bil drinks like a fish and is very partial to a bit of wacky baccy and he has one and one on the way!!??


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## chocolatecat

oh my gosh Sammy - that does sound like a lot of faffing - I expect in our PCT of Sheffield all of that will take months. I've had one set of bloods done a few months ago by my Dr and a ultrasound to check my ovaries and womb - which was all fine. 

Fx for your IVF Sammy :hugs:

September is just so long to wait for the first test - and then by the sounds of it we'll have lots more testing to do...I'm just wondering whether to get our Dr to refer us privately so we can get on with it. 
I'm not terribly old - 29 and OH is 26 - but we're very, very ready and I'd really like my kids to be close in age to their cousins and many other reasons for not wanting to wait months and months to find out anything!

CazD and MrsG - it sounds like your tests are progressing well. OH has cut back, he's not a massively heavy drinker - he's capable of putting away a few pints, but is happy to stop at 1 or 2 on most occasions. It's hard to encourage him to cut back when all of this TTC malarky is driving me to a large glass of wine on many occasions!

How long was your wait between seeing the Dr and getting the SA done? This will be just the first SA for us. (the Fertell test looks at count and motility - it doesn't have a borderline reading - just pass or fail - we failed :-( - I hope it's wrong though!!!

xxxx


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## Mrs G

We got SA done quite quickly and then got to see urologist again fairly quickly (within about 6 wks). We were then told we'd have to wait 4 months to be referred for an inital consulatant appointment so I got bored and we paid for a private consultation (£150). We're now starting treatment at the same time as we would have been initially seen if we had waited for NHS constultant.


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## cazd

Yeah - we were the same - We went to see the Drs and he gave us these test sheets to just take to the hospital whenever we wanted.
We went to the hospital on 21st July (1 week ago) and the Drs have just called to say his results are in :yipee:
Unfortunately Dr forgot to tell me to fast for 14 hrs before my bloods were taken so I had to go back the next day.
So... 7 day turnaround isn't so bad.

Not sure if I could cope with a 4 month wait though!!!

Cat - I know exactly how you feel.. .When you're ready...You're Ready.
OH and I have been together for 7 years but it was only last year that things clicked and we started thinking about having a family.
But now we're at that perfect time in our lives - not a day goes by that we don't talk about TTC or what it'll be like when we have children.

Mrs G - I think its even more tricky that blokes aren't wired like us - the desperation to have children doesn't really hit them - well... it hasn't hit my man yet. he doesn't see the correlation between 'drink' and 'no conception' grrrr. 

So how did you go about private consultation - are you properly private now or did they refer you back to NHS. Do you think you made the right decision?


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## Mrs G

cazd said:


> So how did you go about private consultation - are you properly private now or did they refer you back to NHS. Do you think you made the right decision?

I rang round the hospitals which were within a practical distance and one of them (Salisbury) has consultants who do both private and NHS treatment at the same clinic. We paid for the initial consultation and were put on the list. At that point we didn't know if there was any NHS funding but we would do it either way. They managed to secure the funding and get it transfered from our PCT in Bournemouth. The treatment, waiting list and the clinic is the same at Salisbury whether you are private or NHS, I don't know if that is the case elsewhere. 

I guess we jumped the queue a little by paying for the initial appointment but we would still not have had that appointment now if we had waited for NHS. It might be worth ringing a local clinic and enquiring about paying for an intial consultation, and maybe a SA too..??!! I agree with what you say about men, my dh is fully aware that he is proabably the reason but is still adamant even now it'll happen naturally before we start treatment. Bless!!

Kath xx


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## cazd

Well we just got the results...

My bloods were fine but OH's :spermy: came back with 6% morphology!

Dr is referring us to a urologist and said we should be seen in about a month.
I guess we'll see what happens with that then....

In the meantime I've decided our house will be an alcohol-free zone!!!
:rofl:


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## chocolatecat

Hey Caz,
Sorry about the spermies - I'm not clued up on what the 'scores' should be, but I'm guessing you're not happy with that!
Big hugs to ya.

The hospital has phoned up to say they've opened up a new clinic and so his appointment has moved forward to the 10th of Sept - which is nearly 3 weeks earlier - so I'm pleased about that. 

My spotting has started early this month, so I think I'm out already - that will make it 12 cycles then :(


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## cazd

Heya - fab news about the appointment - still over a month away though...


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## jojoD

Hey there,
Husband and I have had a mixture of private and NHS care to get us to where we are now. Like yourselves we would have had to wait for NHS appointment for SA. We just didn't want to wait as we were feeling anxious, of course everyone feels different. We went ahead for private SA, it only cost £80 and we waited one week. Our private fs then rang me the next day to discuss results. Within two weeks of that we were in the clinic discussing IVF and ICSI ( I had already had my tests done by this point). So rather than wait a month just to do SA, we had SA done, results back and discussed the next steps. Although in Northern Ireland at the moment the 'private' or self-funded IVF list is longer than the NHS. So private isn't always faster on the health service...


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## emmap

Hi

My husband had hes sperm count done by nhs 1st but when we went to see the doctor he recommended we had it done again privatley the results are done straight away. 
I cant remember exactly but it was about £45 and they sent copies of the results to our nhs doctor. 
i had my bloods done by nhs though and thats was ok. 
i was diagnosed with 2 blocked tubes. i also had to 2 laparoscopy done & hsg on my private medical care and was given 4 cycles of clomid by them as well so was quite lucky.
Once we were told we needed ivf we decided to go private as after 4 years of trying i didnt want to then have to go on the nhs waitng list. also you only get one cycle where we live, so didnt think it was worth the wait:thumbup:.


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## jojoD

Chocolatecat I also meant to say don't be worried about mixing your NHS and private care. As I said my husband and I have combined both over the past few months. I had concerns about doing this, this feels like you're doing the double! LOL!! Like claiming job seekers and working at the same time but I was assured it isn't. Currently we are on the NHS list, Private NHS list and with an independant clinic also. The way I look on it I will go down the route that is fastest. Have had tests done by GP and brought them to clinic and vice versa. My advice is if you're willing to pay get on every list available XX


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## cazd

emmap said:


> i had my bloods done by nhs though and thats was ok.
> i was diagnosed with 2 blocked tubes. i also had to 2 laparoscopy done & hsg on my private medical care and was given 4 cycles of clomid by them as well so was quite lucky.
> Once we were told we needed ivf we decided to go private as after 4 years of trying i didnt want to then have to go on the nhs waitng list. also you only get one cycle where we live, so didnt think it was worth the wait:thumbup:.

Wow - 2 blocked tubes! blimey - and only getting one cycle - that's not fair!


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## Mrs G

cazd said:


> Heya - fab news about the appointment - still over a month away though...

Hey caz, we also went to a urologist and TBH he was very good but only if there was a phyiscal reason for low count (we also had 6% morph). he did u/sound to check for varicosele and when that came back neg he referred us straight on to fert specialist. In our experience, paying for the inital consultations privately was quicker and also more thorough. When we had nhs SA done they really did not explain it well at all to us. I guess it depends on the wait you have with NHS, I'm impatient and got fed up waiting !

x


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## chocolatecat

Thanks all for your input! I really appreciate it. Chatted to OH last night, we're going to find out more about going private now, costs and waits etc..., if it's going to be quick we'll go with it. 
I suspect we have some sperm issues but also I have issues with my cycles (like I'm only 8 dpo and been spotting a few days, and bleeding today, but my temps are still up -grrrr)

I'm sorry about your blocked tubes - hugs - but gosh, now I have even more to worry about!


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## Mrs G

I don't know if others will agree with me but we actually found it easier once we knew what we were dealing with. Also I think that feeling you are doing something (anything!) gives you more control too.

:hugs: and :dust: to all
xx


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## emmap

cazd said:


> emmap said:
> 
> 
> i had my bloods done by nhs though and thats was ok.
> i was diagnosed with 2 blocked tubes. i also had to 2 laparoscopy done & hsg on my private medical care and was given 4 cycles of clomid by them as well so was quite lucky.
> Once we were told we needed ivf we decided to go private as after 4 years of trying i didnt want to then have to go on the nhs waitng list. also you only get one cycle where we live, so didnt think it was worth the wait:thumbup:.
> 
> Wow - 2 blocked tubes! blimey - and only getting one cycle - that's not fair!Click to expand...

post code lottery im afraid, but it was all worth it after in the end our 1st ivf worked and we have a little boy called Charlie and i 'm expecting my 2nd baby with our 2nd attempt at ivf.


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## emmap

Mrs G said:


> I don't know if others will agree with me but we actually found it easier once we knew what we were dealing with. Also I think that feeling you are doing something (anything!) gives you more control too.
> 
> :hugs: and :dust: to all
> xx

Hi
I felt much better once we decided to go for the ivf,and we had great results so fingers crossed for you. Drink lots of water and try reflexology.x


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## emmap

cazd said:


> emmap said:
> 
> 
> i had my bloods done by nhs though and thats was ok.
> i was diagnosed with 2 blocked tubes. i also had to 2 laparoscopy done & hsg on my private medical care and was given 4 cycles of clomid by them as well so was quite lucky.
> Once we were told we needed ivf we decided to go private as after 4 years of trying i didnt want to then have to go on the nhs waitng list. also you only get one cycle where we live, so didnt think it was worth the wait:thumbup:.
> 
> Wow - 2 blocked tubes! blimey - and only getting one cycle - that's not fair!Click to expand...

x


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