How do doctors collect sperm?

Ara macao · Mar 1, 2007

Well, how do doctors collect sperm for say, a clinical trial?

Especially if say, the subject can't masturbate? [but has hit puberty]

DaveC426913 · Mar 1, 2007

Can't? Or won't?

Because. You know. They can learn.

pakmingki · Mar 1, 2007

stick a needle into their testicles and extract it.

whatta · Mar 2, 2007

a needle? I would rather learn to masturbate.

moe darklight · Mar 2, 2007

pakmingki said: ↑

stick a needle into their testicles and extract it.

ouch! is this a serious answer? I hope not... because if it is, then more research $ should definitely be put into alternate methods! :surprised

to answer the original question, I'm pretty sure they stimulate the prostate. I'm not sure if this is done with an electrical charge like with animals, or manually though.

I don't see why they would need to resort to needles unless there is something wrong with the urethra or something like that that would prevent semen from traveling.

pakmingki · Mar 2, 2007

im just joking (i hope)
it probably is masturbation

Moonbear · Mar 2, 2007

If one is unable to ejaculate sufficient sperm, such as in cases of infertility involving low sperm count, or when a vasectomy or other obstruction prevents semen from getting expelled from the testes, indeed, a needle is used in a procedure called testicular sperm extraction (TESE). It is painful, and only something done as a last resort.

Unless one were conducting a clinical trial on infertile patients who would require this, that would not be the method of obtaining sperm.

I have my doubts that someone would be able to obtain IRB approval to study sperm in pubertal boys, due to the obvious social issues of the collection process.