Will just one testicle tamper with sex life and fatherhood? Dear Alice, I was just wondering if having only one testicle would affect my sex life and my ability to have any kids? Dear Nineteen Year Old Male, In most cases, more than enough hormones and sperm are produced in one healthy testicle for both a healthy sex life and the ability to fertilize eggs.
Submit a new comment. Contact Alice! Originally Published:. All materials on this website are copyrighted. All rights reserved. According to the American Cancer Society, both testicular cancer, as well as its treatment, can cause infertility issues by affecting hormone levels and lowering sperm counts. The society's website encourages people with testicular cancer to discuss options for preserving fertility with their doctor, including storing their sperm, before beginning the particular cancer treatment their health care providers have suggested.
Fortunately, according to their website, infertility from cancer treatment won't necessarily be permanent if the patient retains one testicle, and fertility can actually return two years after chemotherapy ends.
According to Go Ask Alice, a team of health professionals at Columbia University, having one testicle might not automatically mean a man will suffer from infertility. What is the next best step in the management of this patient?
Tell him that one testicle does not produce sufficient semen to father a child and that his efforts are futile. Ask more questions about his relationship with his wife.
Tell the patient that he is fine, and that infertility is almost always the responsibility of the female partner. Start testosterone supplementation. Expensive lab tests often do not provide the answers to the medical challenges that confront us.
In this case, the patient was working the evening shift from 4 p. His wife, a nurse, was working the morning shift at a hospital and had to leave the house around a.
The couple had relations once every other week on average and, when pressed, the patient had trouble remembering the last time he had intercourse with his wife — the two were simply too exhausted and were not spending enough quality time together. While cryptorchidism is associated with hypogonadism and testicular cancer, this man has undergone a normal development and demonstrated no clinical signs of low testosterone.
One testicle is usually sufficient to produce semen and testosterone A , although decreased semen production and quality are often seen with this condition. A testicular biopsy is not necessary as long as the semen analysis demonstrates viable sperm C , which could be used in an in vitro fertilization procedure.
If both testicles are removed, the situation is different. Amongst other general symptoms, he might become less interested in sex and might experience erection difficulties. These men will need testosterone replacement therapy. Men who have had both testicles removed are no longer able to produce sperm, so they cannot have biological children. Sometimes, men are able to bank their sperm before surgery.
The sperm cells are then frozen and saved for in vitro fertilization later. Body image concerns are common after orchiectomy.
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