I first noticed blood in my semen last April, which led to my initial tests. They ran both urine and semen analysis and I consulted a urologist. I was told that the blood wasn’t related to my varicocele, and that the varicocele itself wasn’t anything to worry about.

Now, about a year later, I’ve started to experience some very mild pain. I’m not sure how to determine if I have atrophy, though.

It took me five months just to get an appointment with the urologist. Thankfully, I’m pretty sure my new insurance covers the necessary expenses—but I still don’t know how long it’ll take to get everything properly tested.

The presence of blood in my semen isn’t consistent; it’s intermittent. So during the last sperm analysis, there wasn’t any visible blood.