Interactive FAQs Male Factor Infertility Question: My fiance has Cystic Fibrosis and at the age of 18 he went for sperm count and was told that there was none and could not have children. We've been talking bout wanting to have some children and were wondering if there is a procedure that could be done to extract sperm from the testicles or if because of his CF there is absolutly no chance of us having any children of our own? Diane S. Canada Answer Often, men who have cystic fibrosis will have a congenital anomaly in the male genital tract. The vas deferens, the tube connecting the testicle and epididymis to the ejaculatory duct is congenitally absent. This makes it impossible for the sperm to through the penis. Using testicular sperm aspiration, the urologist can obtain sufficient sperm to allow excellent success with IVF and ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection). Insufficient numbers of sperm are obtained to make intrauterine insemination an effective option. As cystic fibrosis is recessive genetic disorder, abnormal gene contributions from both parents are necessary for this disorder to be present. In your husband, both copies of the gene are abnormal. While persons carrying a single copy of an abnormal gene do not have this condition, when paired with a partner with CF, they have a 50% chance of CF in their offspring. This makes testing the female partner advisable. If you test normal, although your children will not likely have CF, they will be carriers for an abnormal gene and as such, it is advised that their spouses be checked for CF gene abnormalities. Dr. Perloe FAQ archives: IVF PCOS Clomiphene Ovulation Ovulation Induction Injections Age Related Infertility Endometriosis Donor Egg Donor Sperm Fallopian Tube Reanastomosis Tubal Infertility Unexplained Infertility Endometrial Factor Miscellaneous Return to the IVF Homepage This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 2003 by IVF.com, Atlanta, GA, USA.