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Question:
My fiance is a paraplegic. He has a c-7 spinal cord injury. We both want children, but we aren't sure if he can have children. I wanted to know if there is anyway to find out if he is able to conceive?
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Answer:
by Mitchell Tepper: (08/24/2005)
Thanks for your question. There certainly is a way to find out if you fiance is able to father a child. The first step toward exploring his fertility is to retrieve some sperm. If he is unable to ejaculate through manual stimulation, there are two widely used and accepted methods: electrical and penile vibratory stimulation (PVS). Electrical stimulation, otherwise known as electroejaculation stimulation (EES), is usually performed under anesthesia in a hospital setting or clinic. An electric probe is inserted into the rectum to stimulate the nerves responsible for controlling emission and ejaculation.
Vibratory stimulation--applying a vibrator to the penis--is less invasive than electrical stimulation, does not require anesthesia, can be done at home, and often feels good whether you ejaculate or not. In addition, studies at the Miami Project demonstrate better sperm quality in samples obtained by vibratory stimulation. Although many clinics still use only electrical stimulation because it is more dependable, the American Urological Association recommends vibratory stimulation as the first line of treatment for people with SCI.
Once a sample is obtained, sperm quality should be assessed for several factors: sperm count, motility, morphology, viscosity, volume and ability to penetrate mucus. An average sperm count is about 100 million per milliliter. Motility represents the percentage of sperm that are moving, and at least 50 percent ³swimmers² is considered normal. Morphology refers to the shape of the sperm. Typically only 50 percent to 80 percent are normal, but malformations do not necessarily cause malformations in the fetus. Viscosity is the thickness of the semen. Volume, as opposed to sperm count, measures the total amount of ejaculate and may vary from 1 to 5 milliliters, or about a teaspoon. Then a penetration test is done to determine whether the sperm, once it gets to the ovum, will be able to bore through the cell lining to deliver its genetic message.
Men with SCI generally have adequate volume and sperm count. If thereıs a problem, itıs usually caused by low motility. But even if your spermıs motility is too low for home intravaginal insemination, it can still be used in combination with other assisted reproductive technology (ART) to improve chances of conception. ARTs are ways to deliver sperm to the ovum.
For more on this subject, please see my article, Making Babies: At-Home Vibrostimulation and Insemination - link to http://www.sexualhealth.com/article.php?Action=read&article_id=2&channel=3&topic=71
Reviewed by: Patricia Fawver Ph.D. in Sexology
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