Can I make babies naturally?

Well, the answers to this important question are yes, maybe or no. It is normal to be concerned about sexuality when you are diagnosed with testicular cancer. The testicle is associated with the ability to father children, masculinity and testosterone, the hormone responsible for sexual desire!

Medically reviewed by Urologic Oncologist Dr. Robert J. Hamilton on 01/23/2022

Don’t jump to conclusions so fast!

Removing a testicle will not affect your ability to get an erection or make someone pregnant as long as your other testicle is healthy. If it is healthy, it will usually produce enough testosterone and sperm. So if you’re not ready to be a daddy, please use condoms or make sure your loved one uses a contraceptive.

However, if your now only remaining teste is fine, of normal size and you cannot make babies naturally, the origin of this fertility problem may lie elsewhere. For example, you may have a low sperm count or your partner is unable to conceive. Either way, talk to your doctor about it.

Chemotherapy, radiation therapy or Lymph-node surgery

These are three potential treatments that your doctor may recommend after removal of your testicle depending on if, where and how your cancer has spread. Before you start any of these treatments, your doctor should talk to you about sperm banking. If that discussion is not happening, please bring it up. It is not that you will never be able to father a child naturally, it is to make sure that you and your partner have access to your little guys should treatment have an impact on your fertility (NB: Opening a sperm-bank account will be addressed in another blog article).

Both chemotherapy and radiation therapy do not affect your ability to have sex but can temporarily decrease sperm production and cause unhealthy sperm. It may take one or more years before there are enough healthy sperm to conceive a child. Your sperm count generally starts to return to normal around 18 months to 2 years after treatment. But it can take longer to recover or be permanent, hence sperm banking. Until you are given the green light by your doctor, it would be best to use a condom when you have sex, just to be on the safe side.

Lymph-node surgery may damage the nerves responsible for ejaculation. This means that during an orgasm no fluid (and no sperm) will come out the end of your penis. This causes no medical harm but it does mean you cannot conceive naturally during this time. Hence the importance of sperm banking prior. Speak to your doctor, but depending on whether they were able to spare the nerves during surgery, this loss of ejaculation maybe only temporary, though can take up to 18 months to recover.

Young ones, speak up!

If you are a young adult (e.g. 17-18 y/o), it may be difficult addressing this issue. Read about your cancer and speak up! Ask questions about the long-term side effects of your treatment in order to make the right decision. If you cannot or are overwhelmed, your parents and/or friends, along with your doctor, can help you understand what needs to be done so that, when you are older, you feel you were looked after for your best interest, your future love life and the ability to have children of your own.

I’m confused. Can you please answer my question? Can I make babies naturally?

Yes, maybe or no. That is why your doctor may or will advise you to store sperm at a sperm banking facility before treating your testicular cancer. Now does that mean that your little guys will never be able to take up that swimming challenge towards a family expansion goal? No! It just means that if you want children, sperm banking can be the right decision, just to be on the safe side.

But hey! Stay positive for you may be in for quite a surprise!

Take the necessary time to visit each of our pages on this website to familiarize yourself with the disease. Do you have questions or concerns? Above all, do not hesitate. Contact us via Messenger on our Facebook page. It’s simple, free and confidential.

Video to review
Get To Know Your Balls
Let’s Talk Balls

Pages of our site that might interest you
Want to know more? Just click on the link below.
Treatment

TCC news that may interest you
Each month, we publish a blog article. Here are a few for you.
Going back to a so-called normal life
Letter to my doctor: Now what’s next?
Doc: Will I survive? Part Two – Side effects and medical follow up

Sources and References
Testicular Cancer Canada
Public Health Agency of Canada-Fertility

ADMINFebruary 8, 2022Comment