Explore every episode of the podcast Unfertile & Unfiltered

What actually happens when male infertility leads you to consider a sperm donor?

In this episode, we talk about sperm donor therapy, male factor infertility, and the emotional fallout that doesn’t get discussed enough.

After a male infertility diagnosis, we were faced with decisions around donor conception and donor counseling. Matt shares what his first sperm donor therapy session was like — including the fears, identity struggles, and anger that surfaced.

We talk about:

Male infertility and masculinity

• The difference between “biological father” and “sperm donor”
• Fear of rejection as a non-biological dad
• Donor counseling and what therapists actually ask
• Infertility and marriage strain
• The toxic thoughts that can come up after an infertility diagnosis
• Processing azoospermia and male factor infertility

We're learning as we go through the thick of it that male infertility affects identity, faith, marriage, and the way you see your future.

If you’re navigating sperm donor decisions, donor conception, IVF after male infertility, or trying to support a spouse through male factor infertility — this episode is honest, raw, and unfiltered.

You’re not crazy and you're definitely not alone for having complicated feelings.

In this episode of Unfertile & Unfiltered, we unpack the big question that’s been living in the back of our minds (well, my mind - Sidney):

Did we skip a step?

After Matt was diagnosed with non-obstructive azoospermia and Sertoli Cell Only Syndrome, our doctor moved straight to microTESE surgery. No Clomid. No HCG. No hormone optimization. Just surgery.

Now that we’ve had time to breathe (and Google), we started questioning is that was the right move.

We break down:

• What Matt’s hormone levels actually showed (Testosterone 544, FSH 10.3, LH 10.2)

• Why Clomid is usually prescribed (and why it wasn’t in our case)

• The difference between hypospermatogenesis, maturation arrest, and focal Sertoli Cell Only

• Whether our doctor likely expected to find sperm

• What “focal SCO” really means

• And whether we regret going straight to microTESE

We also talk about what Matt's doing now:

🥩 A six-month “full-send” health reset
🥚 250–300g of protein per day
🚫 Eliminating plastics and processed foods
💊 Sperm supplements (Swim Club, Bird & Be, etc.)
📉 Losing body fat to optimize overall health

Is there evidence this will reverse Sertoli Cell Only? No.
Is there a chance? Maybe. If you push ChatGPT enough then it says there is.

And right now, that’s enough for us.

We also discuss why we’re holding off on genetic testing (karyotype + Y chromosome microdeletion), how that could change everything, and why we’re still moving forward with a sperm donor while holding onto a small window of hope.

This episode is for:

• Couples navigating male factor infertility

• Men with azoospermia wondering if they skipped a step

• Anyone trying to understand Sertoli Cell Only Syndrome

• Or anyone living in the tension between science and hope

Still Unfertile. Still Unfiltered.

Choosing a sperm donor isn’t just a clinical decision—it’s an identity-shaping one.

In this episode, we share our real, unfiltered conversation about navigating sperm donation: known donor vs. sperm bank, genetics, counseling, and the quiet emotional weight that comes with deciding half of your child’s DNA.

We talk about what gets passed down, what doesn’t, the reality of donor siblings, and why openness and honesty matter so much for donor-conceived kids. We also reflect on how this process forced us to confront bigger questions: Who are we? Who are we becoming? And how do we honor that in the family we’re building?

If you’re walking this road—or love someone who is—this episode is for you.

This episode is exactly what infertility looks like in real life — messy, emotional, awkward, and unresolved.

We pick up where the last episode left off: post-surgery, post-consultations, and squarely in the middle of waiting. After meetings with two fertility clinics, an unexpected fight, therapy sessions, and a first round of female fertility testing, we’re sitting with a lot of information… and no clear sense of relief.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How grief shows up differently for men and women — and how that creates tension

• The emotional whiplash of being told you’re “very fertile” and then immediately needing surgery

• Learning (the hard way) that female infertility is way more complicated than we realized

• A surprise hysteroscopy, more delays, and the mental toll of another month of waiting

• The growing weight of decisions around IVF, IUI, sperm donors, and finances

• Depression, therapy, loneliness, and not always being on the same timeline emotionally

There’s no tidy takeaway here. No silver lining. Just the reality of navigating infertility while still showing up for work, relationships, and each other — even when we’re not on the same page.

This is the real, the raw, and the ugly.

In this episode, we walk through the day of Matt’s microTESE—start to finish—and everything that followed.

We talk honestly about the surgery itself, what the doctors told us going in, how expectations were set, and what it felt like when nothing was found.

We share the diagnosis of Sertoli Cell Only Syndrome, the strange in-between space of “maybe” and “almost,” and the moment hope quietly closed the door.

We also cover the parts people don’t always talk about: being high during surgery, awkward (and funny) moments, post-op pain, constipation from meds, an unexpected ER visit, and how intense recovery really was.

This episode is raw, unfiltered, and practical—what the procedure was like, what we’d do differently, and what we wish we’d known before walking in.

If you or your partner are facing a microTESE, male factor infertility, or the emotional toll of invasive procedures, this episode is our real experience—no sugarcoating, no scare tactics, just the truth.

In Episode 2 of Unfertile & Unfiltered, Sidney and Matt walk through the period between their first at-home sperm tests and receiving a formal male infertility diagnosis.

After multiple tests show zero sperm, they begin the process of sperm analysis, bloodwork, and clinic visits—learning in real time what terms like azoospermia, obstructive vs. non-obstructive azoospermia, FSH and LH levels, and microTESE actually mean. They share what it was like to receive results by phone instead of email, why that moment mattered, and how quickly uncertainty turns into life-changing information.

This episode covers:

• At-home sperm tests vs. clinical sperm analysis

• What azoospermia is and how it’s diagnosed

• The emotional impact of a male factor infertility diagnosis

• Navigating denial, grief, and differing coping styles

• Conversations with family and the pressure to “stay positive”

• Early discussions around IVF and surgical options

n Episode 2 of Unfertile & Unfiltered, Sidney and Matt walk through the period between their first at-home sperm tests and receiving a formal male infertility diagnosis.

After multiple tests show zero sperm, they begin the process of sperm analysis, bloodwork, and clinic visits—learning in real time what terms like azoospermia, obstructive vs. non-obstructive azoospermia, FSH and LH levels, and microTESE actually mean. They share what it was like to receive results by phone instead of email, why that moment mattered, and how quickly uncertainty turns into life-changing information.

This episode covers:

• At-home sperm tests vs. clinical sperm analysis

• What azoospermia is and how it’s diagnosed

• The emotional impact of a male factor infertility diagnosis

• Navigating denial, grief, and differing coping styles

• Conversations with family and the pressure to “stay positive”

• Early discussions around IVF and surgical options

This conversation is for anyone searching for real experiences with male factor infertility, azoospermia diagnosis, low or absent sperm count, or the early stages of fertility testing. It’s a factual, honest account of what happens when answers don’t bring clarity—only next steps.

In the first episode of Unfertile & Unfiltered, we share the beginning of our infertility journey—the part no one really prepares you for.

We talk about the moment we decided we wanted kids, the quiet excitement and anxiety that came with “starting to try,” and the assumption that it would all just… happen.

Like so many couples, we entered this season hopeful, nervous, and completely unaware of what was coming next.

This episode walks through the early days of trying to conceive, the rising unease when things didn’t feel right, and the moment I finally decided to take an at-home fertility test. What I expected was reassurance. What I got was a result that changed everything—and ultimately led us to a diagnosis of male factor infertility.

We open up about the shock, the confusion, and the emotional whiplash of realizing infertility wasn’t something happening to us together, but something affecting my husband in a deeply personal way. We also talk honestly about the lack of conversations around male infertility, why it often goes undetected, and how isolating it can feel when the narrative around infertility rarely includes men.

This episode is for anyone who has

• Just started trying to conceive
• Experienced anxiety around fertility testing
• Received unexpected test results

If you’re at the beginning of your infertility journey—or standing in the shock of realizing it won’t look the way you thought—this episode is for you. You’re not alone, and this is just the start of the conversation.

🎙️ New episodes weekly. Subscribe, share, and join us as we navigate male factor infertility with honesty, humor, and zero filters.