Series 3, Episode 1 with Sean Farrell

The Male Fertility Podcast

Hello and welcome back to another episode of The Male Fertility Podcast! We are so delighted to be sharing this series with you as this one is all about giving a voice to the audience.

And to kick start us off, Shaun and Ciaran are joined by Sean Farrel, who has been listening to the podcast since he started on his fertility quest and is still going through it at the moment.

This episode they talk about what life was like pre fertility and how he started down the road of fertility. Together, they chat about his experience with the NHS and the lack of information that was there for them, both for a man and a woman.

Sean talks about how he received his test results of a sperm analysis over the phone by an out of hours doctor, and that they gave him the wrong information. They then discuss how after they got the hard copy of the results, Sean and his partner realised that they had been lied to about the information and that the out of hours doctor was not even part of the practice.

After doing another sperm analysis, they found the same results, there were no sperm found in both results. They were then told by the gp that Sean had Azoospermia, but the gp was literally reading off the internet because they had no clue what the diagnosis was themself.

The couple decided to go private, and after that they were given no support at all from the NHS. Sean talks about having to prioritise his fertility over lots of things.

Eventually, they got in contact with Jonathon Ramsey, and were able to do lots of tests done in one day with him. Sean found out that he had grade 3 varicocele and that he had no sperm.

Unfortunately, they found a lot of other fertility issues. And after consideration, in March 2024, Sean went to the hospital for testicular mapping procedure. A month later, he got the results and found that again, there was no sperm whatsoever.

Sean explains how he then started to post to social media about his story, how he has been very open about it and has been trying to find support online. They also talk about relationships and how they have changed for him.

Together they talk about supporting each other as a couple, Sean reveals how his partner found the podcast and how she coped with everything too.

Sean then found that he was diagnosed with Sertoli Cell Only Syndrome, this is where you lack the ability to develop sperm. He shares how this made him feel and how he coped with the diagnosis.

After returning to the NHS after his diagnosis, they have started to look at IVF. They found that they returned with more knowledge than the doctors. And he explains how they still lack that empathy when it comes to talking about a diagnosis that will change someone's life.

Sadly, they found that there was another hurdle to overcome with his partner. Sean shares that they were told that his partner’s uterus wasnt properly formed and that it was only half developed. His explains that they are now in limbo waiting on the results of this.

Sean’s advice is to, if you can, exercise, distract yourself from the real world, keep connected with your partner and try to own and accept your diagnosis so that you can come to terms with it and move forward.

Thank you Sean!

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This series is proudly sponsored by @exseedhealth, trailblazers in male fertility testing. Ease the stress with their at-home sperm test, offering a convenient and reliable way to check sperm health without clinic visits. Use code MFP15 for an exclusive 15% off their range. Take control of your fertility journey with ExSeed Health.

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