The Post-Vasectomy Semen Analysis: How the Sample Is Checked and What the Report Shows

The stitches healed weeks ago. The bruise that spread like a tea stain has faded. Life went back to normal so quickly that the small plastic cup on the bathroom counter feels almost like an afterthought, except that everything about the decision now rests on what happens to it. The vasectomy was the easy part. The post vasectomy semen analysis is the part that actually answers the question.

Most people are surprised by how much they do not know at this stage. How many days to wait before collecting. Whether the cup has to stay warm. Why the lab wants it within a couple of hours. What it means when a report says sperm were found but were not moving. Whether that is a pass, a fail, or something in between.

This explainer walks through that whole process the way a good urology nurse would over the phone, from the timing of the test to the sentence at the bottom of the report, with the evidence behind each step.

What is a post vasectomy semen analysis, and what does it check?

A vasectomy cuts or blocks the vas deferens, the pair of thin tubes that carry sperm from each testicle toward the penis. The operation is designed to stop sperm from reaching the ejaculate, the fluid released at orgasm. It does not stop the testicles making sperm, and it does not change the fluid itself, which mostly comes from the prostate and seminal vesicles further along the tract. That is why semen after a vasectomy looks, smells and feels the same as before, as Cleveland Clinic points out in its overview of the procedure.

The post vasectomy semen analysis is the only way to know whether the blockage is doing its job. A laboratory takes a fresh sample, examines it under a microscope, and reports whether sperm are seen, how many, and whether any of them are moving. The wording matters: the test is not measuring fertility in the general sense, and it is not checking hormones, testosterone or sexual function. It is answering one narrow question. Are sperm still getting through?

That narrowness is a strength. A standard semen analysis for fertility looks at volume, concentration, movement and shape, and MedlinePlus describes that broader panel in detail. After a vasectomy, most of those measures are irrelevant. The lab is looking for a result that ideally reads as no sperm seen, or at most a handful of non-moving ones.

Until that result comes back, the NHS is clear that the vasectomy cannot be relied on, and another method of contraception is still needed. A surgeon can feel confident that both tubes were divided, and the patient can feel completely recovered, yet neither of those things tells anyone what is in the ejaculate. Only the microscope does.

Why are sperm still in semen for weeks after a vasectomy?

Picture a garden hose that has just been clamped shut near the tap. Water still sits in the length of hose beyond the clamp, and it keeps coming out for a while when the nozzle is squeezed. The vas deferens works the same way. On the day of surgery, millions of sperm are already stored in the tubes downstream of the cut, in the widened section near the prostate known as the ampulla, and in the ducts that empty into the urethra.

Each ejaculation flushes some of that reservoir out. Sperm stranded in the tract also gradually lose their ability to move and are broken down and reabsorbed by the body. Meanwhile, the testicles carry on producing sperm at their usual rate, but those new cells now meet a dead end and are reabsorbed on the upstream side of the blockage. Mayo Clinic describes this process and notes that it typically takes around three months, or roughly 20 ejaculations, before the downstream tubes are empty.

Two things follow from this mechanism. First, an early test is likely to show sperm even when the operation was technically perfect, because the reservoir simply has not drained. A finding of sperm at four weeks says almost nothing about success or failure. Second, sperm that are stranded and dying may still appear on a slide for a while as non-moving cells, which is exactly why labs distinguish between motile sperm, meaning sperm that swim, and non-motile sperm, meaning sperm that do not.

Understanding the plumbing makes the waiting period feel less arbitrary. The delay is not caution for its own sake. It is the time the body needs to clear what was already there.

How long after vasectomy is the semen test done?

Timing is the single most important variable in this whole process, and it is where clinic protocols differ most. The American Urological Association guideline on vasectomy, published in the Journal of Urology and indexed on PubMed, recommends the first post vasectomy semen analysis at 8 to 16 weeks after the procedure. The NHS asks people to return for testing at around 12 weeks. Mayo Clinic frames the same window as roughly three months.

Why not test sooner and get it over with? Because the reservoir described above has usually not emptied, and a sample that still shows sperm at six weeks leads to a repeat test anyway, along with several weeks of unnecessary worry. Testing later than the window is not harmful, but it extends the period of relying on other contraception for no medical gain.

Many clinics also ask for a minimum number of ejaculations before the sample, often quoting the 20 figure that Mayo Clinic mentions. The AUA guideline treats elapsed time as the more reliable marker, while acknowledging that regular ejaculation helps clear the tubes. The practical message is to follow the specific instructions from the operating team, since they set the date with their own laboratory arrangements in mind.

One more piece of timing is easy to overlook: the days immediately before collection. MedlinePlus advises abstaining from ejaculation for a short period, typically two to five days, before a semen analysis. Too short a gap can produce a small or unrepresentative sample; too long a gap allows non-moving sperm to accumulate in a way that can muddy the picture. Your instructions will usually specify a range. Treat it as part of the test rather than an optional extra.

How is the sample collected at home or at the lab?

The mechanics are simple, but small mistakes can spoil an otherwise good sample. Laboratories generally provide a sterile, wide-mouthed container. Household jars, condoms and improvised containers are unsuitable: many condoms carry spermicide or lubricant residue that kills or damages sperm, and residues in reused jars can do the same. MedlinePlus advises against using lubricants during collection for the same reason.

Collection is by masturbation, and the entire ejaculate should go into the container. The first portion of semen tends to carry the highest concentration of sperm, so a sample that misses the beginning can give a falsely reassuring result. Withdrawal during intercourse is not a reliable substitute, because part of the sample is almost always lost and the container may be contaminated.

Once collected, the clock starts. The AUA guideline specifies that the fresh, unspun sample should be examined within two hours of ejaculation, because sperm movement declines over time and a delayed sample can make swimming sperm look stationary. Keeping the container at roughly body temperature during transport, for example in an inside pocket rather than a car trunk in winter or a hot dashboard in summer, helps preserve that picture. Some laboratories ask for on-site collection in a private room to avoid transport problems altogether.

Labeling matters more than people expect. Full name, date of birth and the exact time of collection allow the technician to confirm the two-hour window was met. If the sample was incomplete, spilled, or delayed, say so. A technician who knows the sample is compromised can flag it as inadequate and request another, rather than issuing a report that no one should rely on.

What actually happens to the sample in the lab?

Behind the reception desk, the process is more methodical than dramatic. Semen arrives as a thick gel and liquefies on its own over the following minutes at room or body temperature. The technician waits for this, then mixes the sample gently so that any sperm are evenly distributed rather than clumped at the bottom.

A measured drop goes onto a glass slide, sometimes into a counting chamber etched with a grid, and under the microscope the technician scans field after field. Two questions are being asked at once: are any sperm present, and if so, are any of them moving? Movement is judged on the fresh sample, which is why the two-hour rule exists.

If no sperm are seen on the plain slide, the guideline-based next step is to centrifuge the sample. A centrifuge spins the tube at high speed so that any cells sink into a small pellet at the bottom, concentrating them many times over. The technician then examines that pellet. The AUA guideline recommends this step specifically when the uncentrifuged sample appears clear, because a few sperm scattered through several milliliters of fluid can easily be missed on a single drop.

From those observations, the report is assembled. Where sperm are seen, the technician estimates concentration, usually expressed as a number per milliliter, and notes whether any were motile. Where none are seen even after centrifugation, the report records azoospermia, the medical term for a complete absence of sperm in the ejaculate.

The whole examination is a visual count by a trained person, not an automated readout. That is worth knowing, because it explains why laboratories are strict about sample quality and timing. The method is reliable, but only when it is given a sample worth examining.

What do vasectomy semen analysis results mean?

Most reports fall into one of three categories, and the language on the page can be more alarming than the finding itself.

The first is azoospermia: no sperm seen, including after centrifugation. This is the result everyone hopes for, and under both NHS practice and the AUA guideline it is sufficient for the surgeon to confirm that the vasectomy can be relied upon.

The second is rare non-motile sperm. A few sperm are seen, none of them moving. This often causes confusion, because a report that mentions sperm at all sounds like a failure. It usually is not. The AUA guideline concludes that a sample showing only non-motile sperm at a concentration of 100,000 per milliliter or fewer can be treated as clearance, because sperm that cannot swim cannot reach or fertilize an egg. To put that number in context, MedlinePlus notes that a typical pre-vasectomy sample contains tens of millions of sperm per milliliter. A count in the tens of thousands, all stationary, represents the tail end of a reservoir draining, not a working tube.

The third is motile sperm present, or non-motile sperm above the guideline threshold. This does not yet confirm failure either, particularly if the test was taken early in the window. It does mean the vasectomy cannot be relied upon at that moment, other contraception continues, and a repeat sample is arranged.

Reports may also include other observations, such as volume or the presence of white blood cells. After a vasectomy these are rarely relevant to the decision, and the treating team will say if any of them need attention. The one line that matters is the one about sperm: none, non-motile and few, or motile. Everything else is supporting detail.

Reading the report: results and what they usually mean

Laboratories word their reports differently, and the same finding can appear as a sentence, a number, or a code. The table below translates the most common phrasings into what they generally signify, based on the AUA guideline definitions and NHS practice. It is a guide to the vocabulary, not a substitute for the surgeon’s interpretation, because the final call always rests with the team that performed the operation and knows the timing of your sample.

Report wording	What was seen	Usual meaning	Typical next step
Azoospermia / no sperm seen	No sperm on plain slide or after centrifugation	Meets clearance criteria	Surgeon confirms vasectomy can be relied upon
Rare non-motile sperm (at or below 100,000/mL)	A few stationary sperm, none moving	Meets AUA clearance criteria; residual cells draining	Surgeon usually confirms clearance, or may request one repeat
Non-motile sperm above 100,000/mL	Many stationary sperm	Not yet cleared; tubes still emptying	Continue contraception; repeat in several weeks
Motile sperm present	Any swimming sperm	Not cleared; may be early testing or possible failure	Continue contraception; repeat; if persistent at around 6 months, discuss failure
Sample inadequate	Incomplete, delayed, or contaminated	No conclusion possible	Recollect following instructions

A few observations from the table. Only two outcomes lead to clearance, and both of them share the feature of no moving sperm. The presence of motile sperm is what changes the conversation, and even then the timing of the sample decides how worried anyone should be. A sample labeled inadequate is not bad news; it is the laboratory declining to guess.

Sperm still present after vasectomy: what happens next?

Hearing that sperm were found is unsettling, but the explanation is usually mundane. Far and away the most common reason is time. A sample taken at eight or nine weeks, or after relatively few ejaculations, frequently still contains stranded cells, and a second sample several weeks later is often clear. The AUA guideline anticipates this and describes a pathway of repeat testing rather than immediate alarm.

The second possibility is recanalization, the medical term for the two cut ends of the vas deferens reconnecting through tiny channels of scar tissue. When this happens early, in the first weeks, sperm never stop appearing and motile cells persist or reappear on repeat testing. Late recanalization, months or years after a clear result, is rarer, and it is the reason vasectomy is described as highly effective rather than absolute. The NHS quotes a failure rate of about 1 in 2,000 after a confirmed clear test; the AUA guideline gives the same order of magnitude.

A third possibility is a technical one: a tube that was not fully divided, or, very rarely, an anatomical variation such as a duplicated vas on one side. These are uncommon but explain why persistent motile sperm are taken seriously.

What the guideline does not do is set a hard deadline for panic. It suggests that if motile sperm are still present at around six months, the vasectomy should be considered to have failed and the option of repeating the procedure discussed. Until then, the practical steps are the same regardless of cause: keep using other contraception, follow the repeat-test schedule, and collect each sample carefully so that the result is trustworthy.

None of this is a comment on anyone’s body or anyone’s surgeon. Tubes heal in unpredictable ways, and the test exists precisely because that is true.

Who is asked to wait, and who is tested on a different schedule?

Not everyone is tested on the same timetable, and being asked to wait is a normal part of the process rather than a sign that something went wrong.

People still inside the early part of the window are the most obvious group. Someone who has had few ejaculations, perhaps because of a slow recovery, travel, or a period of illness, may be advised to hold off until closer to the 12 to 16 week mark so that the first sample has a realistic chance of being clear. Testing early and repeating adds appointments without adding information.

A second group are those whose first sample was inadequate: delivered late, incomplete, or collected after too short or too long an abstinence period. The laboratory will usually ask for a fresh sample under the correct conditions before drawing any conclusion.

A third group are people whose first report showed non-motile sperm above the guideline threshold, or a small number of motile sperm. Repeat testing at intervals of several weeks is standard, and each subsequent sample is interpreted in light of the previous one, looking for a trend toward zero.

Some surgeons continue to use a two-sample protocol for everyone, and some ask for a repeat when a first sample shows rare non-motile sperm even though the AUA guideline accepts that finding. This variation reflects institutional practice and local laboratory arrangements rather than a difference in the underlying evidence. The NHS notes that some people need more than one test.

Finally, anyone who has not been tested at all, for whatever reason, remains in the uncleared category. Feeling fine, having had many ejaculations, or having a partner who has not conceived are not substitutes for a report. The test is the only thing that moves someone from waiting to cleared.

How many semen tests after vasectomy are needed?

For decades the standard answer was two consecutive clear samples, and many people who had a vasectomy years ago remember it that way. Practice has shifted. The AUA guideline concluded that a single sample showing azoospermia, or only rare non-motile sperm within the threshold described above, is enough to confirm clearance. Requiring a second identical result added inconvenience without meaningfully improving safety.

The NHS describes a similar approach: a test at around 12 weeks, with some people needing a further test if the first is not clear. Mayo Clinic likewise describes testing after about three months and repeating only when sperm remain.

Why did the thinking change? Partly because compliance fell away with each extra test. A substantial share of people never returned for the second sample, and someone who is cleared after one good result is better protected than someone who stops attending after an ambiguous one. Partly because the evidence showed that a first clear sample taken within the proper window was a reliable predictor of subsequent ones.

Where protocols still call for two samples, or for a repeat after rare non-motile sperm, that is a legitimate choice and not a sign of doubt about the individual case. The right number of tests is the number the operating team asks for, taken at the times they specify. What the evidence argues against is skipping the test altogether, which remains a common reason for unintended pregnancy after vasectomy.

A practical corollary: the first sample deserves the most care. Correct abstinence, complete collection, prompt delivery. Getting it right once usually means not having to do it again.

What the weeks after a vasectomy usually look like

Laid out end to end, the road from operating table to clearance has a fairly predictable shape, though individual timing varies.

The first week is about recovery: swelling, bruising and mild aching that Mayo Clinic describes as typically settling within a few days, with support underwear and rest helping. Sexual activity generally resumes when it is comfortable, often within about a week, and from that point every ejaculation is doing useful work by flushing the tubes.

Weeks two through roughly twelve are the quiet stretch. Nothing feels different. Semen looks the same, as Cleveland Clinic notes, because sperm make up only a tiny fraction of its volume. The one discipline required is continuing contraception, and it is the discipline most often abandoned, precisely because everything seems finished.

Somewhere between 8 and 16 weeks, per the AUA guideline, comes the test itself, preceded by the short abstinence period. The sample is examined the same day, and the written report typically reaches the surgeon and patient within days to a couple of weeks, depending on the laboratory’s reporting arrangements.

A clear result usually arrives as a letter, message or call confirming that the vasectomy can be relied upon. Some people receive a written statement to that effect for their records. A not-yet-clear result restarts a shorter cycle: several more weeks of contraception, then another sample. Where motile sperm persist toward the six-month mark, a conversation about possible failure and options follows.

Beyond clearance, there is no routine ongoing testing. The NHS figure of around 1 in 2,000 for late failure is why doctors describe the method as very reliable rather than perfect, and why an unexpected pregnancy after clearance, though rare, should prompt a fresh semen analysis rather than assumptions.

What people often get wrong about the post vasectomy semen analysis

The myths around this test are remarkably consistent, and most of them point in the dangerous direction of assuming clearance before it has been confirmed.

The vasectomy works straight away. It does not. Sperm downstream of the cut take weeks and many ejaculations to clear, which is the entire reason the test exists. Mayo Clinic’s three-month, 20-ejaculation figure is a useful reminder.

Semen will look or feel different once the sperm are gone. Sperm account for a very small share of semen volume. The fluid comes mostly from the prostate and seminal vesicles, and nothing visible changes.

Any sperm on the report means the operation failed. Rare non-motile sperm within the AUA threshold are compatible with clearance. Failure is judged on moving sperm that persist over time, not on a handful of stationary cells.

The test checks hormones, libido or performance. It does not. The testicles continue producing testosterone exactly as before, and the analysis looks only for sperm.

Delivering the sample the next morning is fine. The guideline calls for examination within two hours, because motility fades and a delayed sample can misrepresent what was in the ejaculate.

If a partner is using contraception, the test is optional. The test is the only confirmation the vasectomy itself is working. Skipping it leaves the question permanently open.

One clear result means zero chance forever. Late recanalization is rare, at roughly 1 in 2,000 according to the NHS, but it is not zero, which is why an unexpected pregnancy after clearance is investigated rather than dismissed.

A home kit is the same as the lab. Rapid kits have real limitations, covered in the next section, and no guideline treats them as equivalent to microscopic examination.

Can you check for sperm at home instead of the lab?

Home semen tests are sold widely, and the appeal is obvious: privacy, no transport window, no waiting room. Some rapid kits detect a protein found on sperm and change color when the concentration is above a set cutoff. Others involve mailing a sample to a laboratory in a preservative, which is a different thing altogether and closer to a conventional analysis.

The rapid color-change kits have two limitations that matter after a vasectomy. First, they report only whether sperm are above or below their cutoff, and that cutoff is set for fertility screening rather than for the much lower numbers that matter in post vasectomy assessment. A sample with a modest number of motile sperm can read as negative. Second, they cannot distinguish moving from non-moving sperm, which is the single distinction on which a guideline-based decision turns. A kit cannot tell the difference between a reservoir draining harmlessly and a tube that has reconnected.

Mail-in laboratory testing avoids some of these problems but introduces another: preservatives and transport time mean motility cannot be assessed on a fresh sample, so the report can describe presence and number but not movement. Some surgeons accept such results in specific circumstances; many do not.

The AUA guideline, NHS and Mayo Clinic all describe fresh microscopic examination as the standard. That is not a dismissal of home options in principle. It reflects the fact that the question being asked is narrow and the consequences of a wrong answer are large. Anyone considering a home approach should raise it with the operating team first, because it is their name on the clearance and their protocol that determines what they will accept.

Questions to ask your care team about the semen test

A five-minute conversation before leaving the clinic after the vasectomy can save weeks of uncertainty later. These are the questions experienced urology nurses say patients most often wish they had asked.

• When exactly do you want the sample: a set number of weeks, a minimum number of ejaculations, or both?
• How many days of abstinence do you want before collection, and is there a maximum as well as a minimum?
• Will I collect at home or on site, and if at home, how quickly must the sample reach you and how should I keep it during transport?
• Does your laboratory centrifuge samples that appear clear on the first slide?
• What result do you treat as clearance: azoospermia only, or also rare non-motile sperm within the guideline threshold?
• Do you require one clear sample or two, and what triggers a repeat?
• How will I receive the result, and how long does the report usually take to reach me?
• If sperm are still present, how many weeks before the next sample, and at what point would you consider the procedure to have failed?
• Do you accept mail-in or home-kit results in any circumstances?
• Will I receive written confirmation of clearance for my records?

Write the answers down. Protocols vary between surgeons more than most people expect, and the instructions that apply to a friend’s vasectomy may not match yours. The team that performed the operation is the one whose instructions count, and they would rather answer the same question twice than issue a report on a sample that did not follow their process.

When to call your doctor

The semen analysis is a routine follow-up, and most of the journey to it is uneventful. A few situations do warrant contacting the surgical team or, in some cases, urgent care, rather than waiting for the scheduled test.

Contact your doctor promptly, or seek urgent care, if in the days after the procedure you develop a fever, spreading redness or warmth around the wound, pus or foul-smelling discharge, or swelling of the scrotum that is rapidly increasing or accompanied by severe pain. Mayo Clinic lists these as signs of infection or of a hematoma, a collection of blood under the skin, that may need assessment. Difficulty passing urine, or blood in the urine, also deserves a same-day call.

Blood-tinged semen in the first few ejaculations after surgery is common and usually settles. If it persists beyond a few weeks, or is heavy, mention it to the team. A small, firm, sometimes tender lump near the operation site can be a sperm granuloma, a nodule formed where sperm have leaked into surrounding tissue; most cause no trouble, but a painful or growing lump should be examined.

Ongoing testicular or scrotal pain that has not eased after several weeks, or that interferes with daily activity, should be reviewed. Mayo Clinic describes chronic post-vasectomy pain as uncommon but real, and early assessment matters.

Two situations relate to the test itself. If motile sperm are still being reported as you approach six months, ask the team directly about the possibility of failure and the options. And if a partner has a missed period or positive pregnancy test at any point after clearance, contact the team so a fresh semen analysis can be arranged. Rare does not mean impossible, and every one of these decisions belongs with the clinicians who know your case.

Frequently asked questions

How long after vasectomy is the semen test usually done?

Most guidelines place the first test between 8 and 16 weeks after the procedure, with the NHS testing at around 12 weeks and Mayo Clinic describing roughly three months or about 20 ejaculations. Testing earlier often shows leftover sperm from the tubes downstream of the cut and leads to a repeat anyway. Follow the specific date your surgical team gives you, since their protocol and laboratory arrangements determine the schedule.

What do vasectomy semen analysis results mean if a few sperm are found?

It depends entirely on whether they are moving. Rare non-motile sperm at or below 100,000 per milliliter meet the AUA guideline’s definition of clearance, because sperm that cannot swim cannot fertilize an egg; they are the tail end of the reservoir draining. Any motile sperm, or non-motile sperm above that threshold, mean the vasectomy cannot yet be relied upon and a repeat sample will be arranged. Your surgeon makes the final call.

Why are sperm still present after vasectomy weeks later?

Usually because the tubes beyond the cut have not finished emptying. Millions of sperm are stored downstream on the day of surgery and are flushed out gradually over many ejaculations and reabsorbed over weeks. Less often, the cut ends have reconnected through scar tissue, called recanalization, or a tube was not fully divided. Persistent moving sperm on repeat tests toward six months is what raises concern about failure.

How many semen tests after vasectomy are needed before it is considered reliable?

Often just one. The AUA guideline concluded that a single sample showing no sperm, or only rare non-motile sperm within its threshold, confirms clearance. The NHS describes a test at around 12 weeks with a further test only if the first is not clear. Some surgeons still ask for two clear samples as a matter of protocol. The number that matters is the number your operating team requires.

How many days of abstinence are needed before the post-vasectomy sample?

A short period, typically two to five days, according to MedlinePlus guidance on semen analysis. Too brief a gap can produce a small or unrepresentative sample; too long a gap lets non-moving sperm accumulate and can muddy the count. Laboratories usually specify both a minimum and a maximum, and following that range is part of producing a sample the technician can interpret with confidence.

Why does the lab want the sample within two hours?

Because the key distinction is whether sperm are moving, and motility fades as a sample ages. The AUA guideline specifies examining the fresh, unspun sample within two hours of ejaculation so that swimming sperm are not mistaken for stationary ones. Keeping the container close to body temperature during transport helps preserve movement, and any delay or spill should be reported so the sample can be flagged as inadequate if needed.

Can I use a home test kit instead of the laboratory analysis?

Rapid home kits have real limitations for this purpose. They report only whether sperm are above a fertility-level cutoff and cannot tell moving from non-moving sperm, which is the distinction a clearance decision rests on. Mail-in tests preserve the sample but cannot assess motility on fresh semen. Guidelines and major clinical sources describe fresh microscopic examination as the standard; ask your surgical team before relying on any alternative.

Does the test check testosterone or sexual function?

No. A post-vasectomy semen analysis looks for one thing: whether sperm are present in the ejaculate and whether any are moving. The testicles continue producing testosterone and sperm as before; the sperm are simply blocked and reabsorbed. Hormone levels, libido, erections, orgasm and ejaculate volume are unchanged by vasectomy, and none of them appear on the report in any meaningful way.

What happens if motile sperm are still present at six months?

The AUA guideline suggests that persistent motile sperm at around six months should be regarded as a failed vasectomy, and that repeating the procedure should be discussed. Until that point, the usual approach is repeat testing at intervals of several weeks while continuing other contraception. The decision about whether and when to reoperate rests with the treating urologist, based on the trend across your samples.

Can a vasectomy fail after a clear semen analysis?

Rarely, yes. The NHS puts the chance of pregnancy after a confirmed clear result at about 1 in 2,000, usually because the cut ends of the tube reconnect through tiny channels of scar tissue months or years later. There is no routine ongoing testing after clearance, but a partner’s unexpected pregnancy should prompt a fresh semen analysis rather than assumptions about other causes.

References

• Vasectomy (male sterilisation): NHS
• Semen Analysis: MedlinePlus
• Vasectomy: Cleveland Clinic

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.