Support for men

If you have raised your concerns with your GP and you have been referred to a fertility specialist expect to wait up to 6 weeks for your first appointment. Please start the conversation with your partner if you have not already, as when you consult the doctor, they might advise your partner to also undergo some tests. If you have not heard anything from the hospital by then, chase them.

Your first appointment will most likely be full of fact finding and probably some initial basic tests; what they will refer to as diagnostics – helping you find a diagnosis. This could take anything from weeks to months so expect you will need to exercise patience. Although you may have been on this journey for months, and in some cases years unless you have investigations privately, expect things to move slowly; anything else will be a bonus.

Once you have a diagnosis, the team will be able to advise you on next steps. If you don’t understand what you have been told, try not to look up everything yourself to gain further insight. Ask for more information and explanations until you understand the procedure completely. Don’t feel silly for needing more clarification if you don’t understand anything, that’s what the team are there for and your journey is individual to you so sometimes internet searches cause more anxiety and confusion, which is the last thing you need.