Q. My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for almost a year, and I’m ready for us to get medical help. But my husband refuses to be tested. Should I just go and get tested myself? How important is it that he have a fertility workup, too?
A. Yes, you should go ahead and get tested yourself; at least that way you’ll be halfway towards finding out why you’re not conceiving. If your husband persists in not wanting to go to a physician for testing, there are a few alternatives. For instance, he can use a “collection condom” while having intercourse, and then you can take that specimen to your doctor for a semen analysis. If he refuses to do even that, you can see your doctor immediately after having sex for a postcoital test. For this test, you and your husband have to have intercourse close to (but not after) ovulation. Then you see your doctor within four to 12 hours afterwards to have your cervical mucus evaluated for the presence of sperm. While not as accurate or informative as a semen analysis, this test does have the added benefit of determining if your mucus production is adequate and of good quality.
