A girl with a men’s health question. Please be kind.?
I don’t even know if I’m supposed to be in here or if this is kinda like a boy’s locker room. I hope it’s ok that I’m asking this in here. I figured it would be the best place…..
Anyway, my fiancee had testicular cancer when he was 16-17 due to anabolic steroid use. Obviously he is no longer on the steroids. I’m not clear on what kind of treatment that he underwent, but he is cancer free and they told him there is practically zero chance of it coming back.
My question has to do with his fertility. We wonder about it all the time, but he is afraid to take a test because he really wants children and is afraid he will be sterile. He has all of the equipment, but one testical is significantly smaller than the other. I have no idea if that even means anything. Can someone please enlighten me about these things???
April 18th, 2010 at 11:43 am
a man can have one testicular and still have millions of sperm coming from it. I know a man who had 3 children, who had one testicular.Like breasts some men do have a smaller testi then the other as well..hope this helped you, nice that you are looking out for both of you.
April 18th, 2010 at 11:54 am
if they gave him radiation, odds are he will shoot blanks for the rest of his life. if they just cut out the cancer cells and left the good ones with out the radiation he can probably knock you up. it sounds like he had the cancer in one but not the other. (god gives us two of many parts (also eyes, kidneys, lungs)for a reason!! not just because there was a extra lying around)
April 18th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
His doctors would have been criminally negligent if they hadn’t talked to him about this before treatment. He may not recall what they said because of the stress of the moment or because he is an idiot. If he took steroids in his teens he is probably an idiot, sorry luv. Unfortunately, his diminished mental capacity doesn’t rule anything out. But we may suppose that his doctors are not so stupid.
If they did not take the entire testicle, it was not serious enough to warrant the sort of treatment that would render him infertile.
Assume he can have children, but have tests done if things don’t work out.
April 18th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
its so normal he has a smaller testical beacuse of masterbation its perfectly normal.
April 18th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
If he had testicular cancer it would be normal practice to remove the affected testes followed by chemotherapy–Therefore he should only have one testes not one that is smaller than the other.
He should discuss with his doctor what the diagnosis actually was and the nature of his treatment.
The only definite test except from you actually getting pregnant is a sperm analysis–There is no point avoiding the possibility that he is sterile. This could affect both of you.
Was the possibility of storing semen discussed before treatment–or was it already the case that the anabolic steroids had reduced his sperm count.
He only needs one functioning testes. I feel that a sperm test is the only way forward-for better or worse
April 18th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
If he has one “functioning” testicle then he is good to go. When you are ready to start a family why don’t you just go on the assumption that everything is fine. If you find that you have problems then deal with that if its happens. Be positive!
April 18th, 2010 at 3:31 pm
Dont worry…one ball is more than enuf to load you up. But i’d say fearing a test would not cure his sterility if he already is. But Taking the test can either relieve him of the tension or he can take necessary treatments to cure that. So there is no point in running away from what you have to face today or the next.
So good luck.
April 18th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
Sweet heart every man has one testicle smaller than other it is perfectly normal,, as to whether he can father children or not he will have to provide a sperm sample to his local hospital so they can test it Good Luck
April 18th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
He really needs to go back to his doctor for further tests.
There is no ‘normal’ set-up regarding testicles. One can be smaller than the other. One may not even function correctly. There are just too many variables.
You need to support him now and even go with him on the day of the test or even the doctor’s appointment.
While it is wonderful that he wants children, if it turns out that he is infertile, there is always adoption. There are many children who have been orphaned or have had to be taken away from abusive parents who would love to be cared for and loved by doting parents.
And as medical advances go, there may be a solution just around the corner. I don’t know what the current research is on genetic engineering. The scientists may be able to use some of his DNA and your eggs to make a baby that you can carry and together it would be yours.
Very best wishes to you both and I hope it does work out for you.
April 18th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
everything depends on the type and duration of treatment he received. that’s a very young age to get cancer. from steroid use?????? history seems vague
April 18th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Look, you’re never going to know until you do a sperm analysis. End of story. This is not a thing to wonder about.
And I can’t tell, but it also sounds like he’s keeping details of his medical history from you. If that’s right, then he’s not being completely honest with you, and that might start to show up in other parts of your life together.
If you two are serious about getting married, you both have to lay all your cards on the table before you do it.
Testicular cancer is not that uncommon in young men. Steroid use is not required. But surviving it and going on to make babies is also not uncommon. You can have one testicle, have a low sperm count, and still go on to make healthy babies.
Even if he can’t get you pregnant the normal way, there are other things besides adoption. There are expensive high tech options for ‘artificially’ impregnating you with his sperm.
If you’re going get a semenalysis, you might as well do it at a teaching hospital, not a community hospital, where expertise is much deeper.
And both of you might benefit from reading Lance Armstrong’s book, It’s Not About the Bike.