Q: I am a 33 years old male, got married last year. We have been trying for a child since long but haven't been successful. My wife’s fertility reports are normal. My sperm analysis reports are as under: Volume – 2 ml, Colour - Whitish, Total count - 45 million, Motility - 12, Sluggish - 18, Non motile - 80, Pus cells - 2-3-HPF . The doctor has asked me to take Doxypal BD for 3 weeks and discontinue it for two weeks and then start again for 6 weeks along with capsule Q Gold for 3 months. Would I ever be able to father a child?

A:The semen analysis seems to be ok except for motility; this depends on many factors especially when you last had sex. Even factors like whether the sperm was collected at home and then delivered to the clinic and in the process there was a delay or the lab kept it on the shelf for hours before analysis. The specimen should be checked fresh. Unfortunately there is very little that can be done to improve the quality or motility of sperms. So please get the specimen re-examined from a good lab, which is used to checking sperms like dedicated fertility lab and checks semen right away (not collection centres). This time ensure that there is only three days abstinence you need from sex (no more, as long abstinence can throw up just old sperms which are not too good) and the semen is passed in the lab and processed right away (not left on the shelf). If the sperms still show low motility you will have to see a urologist who specializes in male infertility. The course of antibiotics and the kind of treatment is unlikely to help. The antibiotics are often prescribed but there is no evidence that it helps. So you need a proper diagnosis (reconfirmed) and if indeed you do have low motility you may need evaluation of your hormones and maybe hormonal treatment.