Men, the time is fast approaching. According to Bloomberg and several other news sources, Walgreens and CVS are, reportedly, moving to begin carrying male fertility tests. The article states,
In April, Walgreen’s 7,800 U.S. stores plan to start selling a fertility test that determines if a man is producing enough sperm to get a woman pregnant. Walgreen and CVS have already started selling SpermCheck Fertility online. The blue-and-gold box, which features a smiling couple holding a newborn, will join more than two dozen varieties of female fertility tests in Walgreen stores. SpermCheck’s owner and distributor, closely held ContraVac Inc., is banking on women dropping an extra $40 for the test when they buy ovulation and pregnancy kits for themselves. “In our society, the woman carries the burden of trying to determine the issues surrounding infertility,” said Ray Lopez, ContraVac’s chief executive officer. “Men don’t say, ‘Let me go to the urologist and give a semen sample.’” That reluctance has created a $440 million-a-year market for male fertilitytests in the U.S., Lopez says. Every year, about 7.3 million women in the U.S. have trouble with pregnancies, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control. Many women, assuming they are to blame, visit gynecologists. They are “poked and prodded” and sent home while few husbands want to consider that they’re possibly at fault, according to Barbara Collura, executive director of Resolve: the National Infertility Association in McLean, Virginia. (Bloomberg.com)
What does that mean for you? First, accuracy is the word for the day. As with female tests, a second opinion from a medical professional, particularly a male infertility micro-surgeon, should be the next step if a negative test result is produced. Second, the testing procedures should be easy to follow. The article states that it’s a relatively easy process, but if a man is willing to meet with a urologist, then its not necessary to take the test at home. Remember, An OTC sperm test still cannot replace a truly accurate and reliable semen analysis rendered by a reputable Andrology Laboratory.
The movement to provide male infertility testing in the drugstore is a huge advancement in drugs and medicine, but its accuracy and reliability should be continuously monitored to maintain a high level of integrity and responsibility.
Tags: CVS, drug store, female infertility, male fertility, male infertility, over the counter, Walgreens