A testicular biopsy is an important tool in diagnosing male infertility. However, it is not the first step for the initial phase in a fertility evaluation. The doctor will take a health history and order blood tests and a semen analysis. This can be done in several ways, but the classic approach is to perform a testis biopsy under local anaesthesia. This allows for the direct inspection of a small piece of testis tissue to determine whether sperm production is normal or not.

A testicular biopsy may be used to:

• Determine whether sperm production problems are caused by a blockage
• Retrieve sperm for use in IVF
• This is done if sperm are being made in the testicles but are not present in the semen.
• Diagnose testicular cancer
• Determine the cause of a lump in the testicles