Conference turris::womannotes-v2

    Does your husband wear boxer shorts or tight fitting underwear?
    The reason I ask this is because men who wear tight fitting underwear
    tend to lower their sperm counts due to the increased heat of having
    the testicles closer to the body. Since too much heat kills sperm,
    this couls be having an effect. I know of a couple that was able
    to conceive 4 months after the husband changed his style of underwear
    to boxer shorts. They did this on advice of his doctor to help deal
    with a low sperm count. Since there are multiple causes of a low
    sperm count, this may or may not work for you, but if you have the
    patience to try something that may take 6 months to a year, this
    is the least expensive alternative. It also requires to hormones
    or drugs. Good luck.
    
    -E

    there is a place in New Orleans, on Bullard Ave. 504-246-8971
    Dr. Taylor, this is the Fertility Institute, if any one can help
    they can.
    
    they have helped two single woman I know to conceive and are always
    working with couples.

    Reply to .1,
    
    ...and stop drinking coffee. That decreases fertility too.

    
    
    Re:376.3
    
    
    In a book I have called "How to choose the sex of your baby" by
    Dr. Shettles, they recommend to drink coffee to increase sperm count
    (to increase the count of sperms that create male child).
    
    Recently (last week on ABC) I heard coffee AFFECTS FEMALE fertility if
    they drink more than one cup a day not male.
    
    Regards
    Geetha
    
    

    
    Besides tight underwear my doctor also stated that hot spas, steam
    baths, and saunas can decrease sperm count.  Excess alcohol and
    daily marijuana use will also lower sperm count.
    
    Before you start researching artificial insemination your husband
    should see a fertility specialist, the problem may be correctable
    and a lot less expensive.
    

    Speaking of fertility specialists:
    
    On "L.A. LAW" the characters played by Jill Eikenberry and Michael
    Tucker were having trouble conceiving. The problem was low sperm
    count. He went to a specialist and was given a drug that has some
    capability to increase production. However there were side effects
    that made him give it up. 
    
    Does anybody know the name of that drug?
    
                                                   
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    I believe the drug he was taking was clomiphene (Clomid is one brand).
    It is typically used in men to increase sperm count and motility,
    and in women to regulate and stimulate ovulation.  Some of the side
    effects include nausea (don't all drugs do this?) and hot flashes.
    I do remember one episode where Stuart was having hot flashes in
    one of their staff meetings, and I can attest to the fact that they
    do occur.  Other side effects also include mood swings including
    depression.
    
    Does that answer your question?
    
    Cathy

    re .7:
    
    Thanks.
    
                                                   
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    The following response is from a member of our community who wishes
    to remain anonymous at this time.
    
    						=maggie
    ===================================================================
    
    .0 

    Your note doesn't indicate whether you've both had a complete workup
    for infertility.  If not, do so.  It is possible to conceive with a low
    sperm count, but there could be more reasons that combine to make it
    very difficult to conceive. My husband has a low count (but still in
    the average range), but on top of that I have some endometriosis.  The
    combination makes it very difficult to conceive. 

    There are a number of ways to increase your chances of conceiving,
    including the use of drugs to increase your ovulation so that the sperm
    has more chances.  This is usually used with interuterine insemination
    (which is what you described), or in-vitro insemination (test tube).
    Clomid and Pergonal are two of the drugs I've heard of. 

    I would recommend that you find a specialist right away. Don't waste
    your time with doctors that can only go so far in the work up.  When
    you've only got that once a month chance, years can go by while you try
    to find out why. 

    The Boston area has a number of specialists.  Contact Resolve in your
    area for recommendations.  I think there's a note in this file or in
    V1.0 that talks about infertility and has a reference to Resolve. 

    One suggestion, if you are a member of an HMO,you might want to switch
    to John Hancock.  My experience with HMO's is that they like to try as
    much as they can before recommending you to a specialist.  They also
    keep recommending that you wait another 6 months, etc.  Specialists are
    more understanding of what you're going through too.

    JOHN H now covers the gift program also. That is where they extract
    the egg and fertilize it an place it back in the tube (invetro the
    fertilized egg is place in the uterus)

    My husband was recently (3 weeks ago) diagnosed as having a low
    count and also an infection of the prostate.  The urologist tested
    the specimen and said that he had a low count, only 60% surviving
    at the time of the test.  The doctor stated that this might not
    sound low but when the sperm enters the woman, 1/2 die right away
    due to the acid levels in the vagina; this means we are down to
    only 30% of live "swimmers".  He also said that the consistency
    was too thick, which prevented them from swimming upstream.  The
    cure for the consistency problem is Vitamin C, the doctor could
    not explain why Vitamin C works but it does thin out the consistency.
    My hubby is currently taking an antibotic for the prostate infection,
    and the doc wants to see him again in the beginning of May to check
    another specimen; he said that he will run hormone tests on him
    if things do not look better by then.  Also the doc gave the advice
    to change from jockey shorts to boxers (this did not go over too
    well with my husband; doesn't like change).  My husband was also
    kicked (you know where) by an old girlfriend when he told her their
    relationship was over, this resulted in a varicose (sp??) vein in
    one of his testicles.  This could possibly warrant surgery, doctor
    says it is a simple procedure.  After the May check-up for my husband,
    I plan on going for further testing on myself.  I was reading about
    endometriosis and I do have some of those symptoms.  I have gone
    for my yearly check-ups and everything seems o.k. according to my
    doctor.  We have been trying to conceive for 7 months now and my
    doctor feels that once you have been on the pill, they don't consider
    you having difficulty until you have been trying for 15 months at
    least.  I agree that stress and anxiety have a great deal to do
    with infertility.  Each month I get all worked up even if my period
    is one day late (never late before in my life).  Last month I was
    12 days late and went to have a pregnancy blood test, that night
    the results came back negative (I cried like a baby and so did hubby)
    low and behold the following day, my period came.  I have always
    prayed to have a large family, I love kids; the doctor said not
    to wish and pray too much because sometimes you just want it so
    bad and you will not get it until you relax and "forget about it".
    Easy for a doctor to say, especially one with 4 kids of his own.
    We are going away on a much needed 2 week vacation in a few weeks,
    under the doctors advice.  Hopefull the vaca will relax us both
    and I will come back with good news!!
    

    A few more tidbits that I forgot in the last note....My doctor gave
    me some suggestions to help.  Douche before sex to reduct the acid
    level in the vagina.  Woman should be on the bottom and not on top
    (this prevents sperm from running out), and when you have finished,
    remain lieing down with your legs slightly bent (again to prevent
    the sperm from running out).