talking male fertility - the testhim podcast

Coming up on the 12/11/25 this fascinating conversation about the impact of the chemicals in our environment and what they're doing to our fertility and specifically what they're doing to sperm!

As part of our conversation around endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC's) we heard more about Jonathan's story and how EDC's may have played a role in his infertility. We also heard how he was completely dismissed by medical professionals when he first spoke to his doctor about having undescended testicles. Imagine being asked "where are your testicles?" Full episode out on 1...

Coming up on our next podcast episode.... we're going back to endocrine disrupting chemicals. It was our huge pleasure to welcome Prof Richard Lea back into the studio and this time we were also joined by the wonderful Jonathan Luwagga to blend the patient story with science all part of a bigger documentary that is due to be released in 2026. 140,000 new chemicals have entered our environment...

In this episode we were back to just the 3 of us. After a bit of a catch about what's been going on in testhim HQ we explored the joys of dealing with friends and family whilst going through infertility. How do you cope with those unhelpful comments? How do you tell your family? How should you respond when someone tells you to "just relax"?Toby and Mike share their experiences and explain how they...

It's hard to imagine life beyond fertility treatment when you're in it, and it's even harder to think that life could still be fulfilling without children. In this episode Mike talks incredibly openly about the dark days and the regrets but if there was ever anyone who has clearly turned it into a positive and has channelled his experience into helping others it's this man! Full ep...

Sometimes other people just dont' get it right?! Opening up to anyone about your infertility can be so incredibly hard and sometimes other people just aren't going to understand. But with the right approach it can be a positive conversation. Find out more in the full episode out on 15/10/25

In this month's episode we welcomed Paul Galgey to the studio. Paul was completely unknown to us until one day we got an email from him. Spoiler coming up..... this email he sent from the maternity ward after the birth of his daughter just days beforehand. Little did we know that an insta live he'd seen from us completely changed his fertility journey and he wanted to say thank you to us! Paul's s...

How many other couples are led to believe IVF is the solution? The reality is sometimes quite a bit further from that! In this episode Paul talks about the importance of fertility education for couples and actually for him how doing the research, being proactive completely changed their fertility journey and potentially contributed to their outcome. Full episode out 15/09/25

Any other men out there who look down and think things don't quite look right? In this episode Paul talks really openly about how things didn't seem right to him and the nagging feeling that something wasn't right. Paul was diagnosed with a Varicocele in his 20's and with the eventual right intervention things changed for him and his sperm quality. Check out the full episode out on...

Coming up in our next episode this honest and frank conversation with Paul Galgey. Paul touches on some really important points of what infertility is really like for a man. Isolation, the feeling of despair and having to face the reality of potentially being infertile! Not to mention the reality of getting your testicles out in front of a doctor. Trying for a family when it's not going to pla...

This month we welcomed Nina Barnsley, Director of the Donor Conception Network (DCN) and we had one of the most thought provoking conversations we've ever had in the studio.' The DCN was set up over 30 years ago to support donor conception families and prospective families. The changes that have happened in the fertility world and specifically the donor conception world in that time are quite incr...

Coming up this month this incredible conversation with Nina Barnsley from The Donor Conception Network. How do you have that conversation with donor conceived children? Do you tell, do you not tell? Well actually we now know that being open and honest is by far the best thing but getting support around this is still imperative. Check out the full episode out on 11/08/25 To learn more about The Don...

Coming up this month we're delving into the huge subject of donor conception! This subject is so incredibly complex and we covered so much but one of the big takeaways was that using donor sperm or donor eggs is a big decision and it takes time. Having the right support around you is absolutely imperative and that's exactly where the Donor Conception Network comes in. To learn more about D...

We recently welcomed Saul and Aliza into the podcast studio to share their story. We've known Saul and Aliza for many years and we know how much they've been through. We know the challenges they've faced with their friends and family and how hard it's been for them to share their story. Now however, they're talking openly about both sides of their challenges and what they'v...

This month we were joined by Dr Anand Patel, a men's health expert. Anand has got over 24 years experience in general medicine, general practice, sexual function and more recently male fertility. He is also known in the media for his work on channel 4's embarrassing bodies and hosted the channel 4 documentary "celebrity save our sperm". Anand has got extensive experience in sexua...

Just a little reminder that the average volume a man ejaculates is between 2 and 5ml! In this very entertaining and insightful conversation with Dr Anand Patel we explored so much around fertility and more. Part of the conversation was aroud how and what young men are learning when it comes to sex and their bodies! So many young boys have viewed porn that their perception of normal is grossly out...

You can always be sure of an entertaining conversation with this great man, Dr Anand Patel! Night time erections, your willy is like a wind sock and don't buy testosterone from Gary or your balls will shrink! Check out the full episode out on 14/07/25

In this incredibly open and honest episode we hear from Declan Petley a guy who has been through so much! Declan faced some incredible challenges growing up. He went from being the shortest to the tallest in his class, he lost track of how many broken bones and injuries he picked up through his life whilst also battling intense emotions including anger, depression and suicidal thoughts. He struggl...

Coming up this month an incredibly open and honest conversation with Declan Petley who was diagnosed with XXY! For years Declan was in the dark around his health and why so many things seemed to not be working. Seeing the right clinician meant the missing part of the jigsaw puzzle was put into place which was a huge relief but then also opened up masses of questions about his fertility, something...

What happens when a man is misdiagnosed!! This month we hear from Declan Petley about his life living with XXY! A simple genetic test could have completely changed Declan's life so much earlier but unfortunately it was missed. Declan faced depression, suicidal thoughts and years of pain, all because no one understood what might be going on for him. Check out the full episode on 16/06/25

In this incredible episode we hear from consultant Urologist Jas Kalsi and consultant Gynaecologist Fatima Husain about their combined approach to fertility treatment. This episode is a breath of fresh air and incredibly powerful. It demonstrates that actually when you truly approach fertility in a way that assesses and treats both sides of the equation it can make an incredible difference. Jas an...

The impact of infertility on men can never be underestimated. Whether it's performance issues or psychological challenges the facts remain the same, it's a challenging place to be and it's hard to reach out for support. Check out the full episode coming on 19/05/25

Are men being ignored? Is it a case that if his semen analysis is average or OK that he's then disregarded. But actually we know that even a normal semen analysis doesn't mean everything is actually ok! Check out this fantastic episode where Jas and Fatima talk about the importance of treating both the man and the woman, available on 19/05/25

What happens if both the man and the woman get investigated and treated at the same time? Well funnily enough you potentially increase the natural birth rate and the IVF success rate. You also potentially stop that couple needing IVF! Is that not the ultimate outcome we all want, a healthy natural pregnancy? Of course there are times when IVF and even ICSI are essential and much needed but optimis...

This month we were joined by Angela Pericleous Smith a specialist fertility counsellor and chair of the British Infertility Counselling Association (BICA). Why is it men are nervous about going to see a counsellor? Is it just men who are nervous about it? In this episode we explored the ins and outs of counselling, what to expect and what your clinics should be offering you. We also explored some...