Jenna Greenaway's dreams of a family were shattered when her husband was diagnosed with a rare condition and told he would struggle to conceive biological children. 'Shaun has always been an outgoing and fun person to be around. But after the diagnosis, he withdrew within himself,' Jenna, now 41, recalls. 'He had this feeling of not being a man and not being able to give me what a man should be able to. He even said I could leave him if I wanted.'
The Diagnosis
When the couple, from Cornwall, married in 2013, they were in no rush to start a family. However, when they started trying four years later, nothing happened, so they embarked on fertility testing. While Jenna's tests came back clear, Shaun received the devastating news that he had azoospermia, a condition affecting just 1% of men in the UK, where they have no sperm at all. 'He got his diagnosis over the phone at work. It wasn't even a doctor that called, but the receptionist,' recalls Jenna. 'We had no idea what azoospermia was, but we were both shellshocked. To be told you have zero sperm, not even a low count. We didn't know what that meant for our future.'
Attempted Treatments
The couple learned that the condition could have been caused by a severe bout of mumps that Shaun had in his 20s. Doctors suggested a procedure called varicocele embolization, where a coil is placed in the testicles to stop overheating and boost sperm production. 'We were warned it was only a 30% success rate but we pinned all our hopes on it working,' says Jenna. 'I'll never forget the day we were called to say it hadn't worked. We were in the car, near the train station, where I was dropping Shaun off. Somebody walked past with a baby and then the phone rang: "Unsuccessful". We were devastated.'
Shaun then had an even more invasive procedure where doctors explored all his tubes in a bid to find a single sperm. He was under the knife for two hours, but nothing was found. 'This time I'd geared myself up for the worst case scenario. We'd talked about what we'd do if it wasn't successful,' Jenna remembers. 'We discussed adoption and had agreed on a sperm donor. When Shaun came around, his nether regions were all bandaged up. Not long after we were told it hadn't worked, he took a photo smiling with his thumbs up. We were devastated but he was a bit high on the anaesthetic. The reality hadn't sunk in.'
Choosing a Sperm Donor
In 2019, after assessing their options, the couple chose a sperm donor and Jenna began egg retrieval treatment. It wasn't straightforward though – not only did she suffer ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, which made her body swell up, but IVF clinics across the nation also began to close due to Covid. 'It was a really lonely time for us and I felt quite isolated,' remembers Jenna. 'We didn't know anyone else going through IVF for the same reasons we were, and some of our family would ask us, "When are you going to hurry up and have kids?"'
Jenna eventually had her embryo transfer at Bourn Hall Clinic, Cambridge, in June 2020. Just two weeks later, the couple were told it had been successful: Jenna was pregnant.
Male Infertility on the Rise
Azoospermia accounts for around 10-15% of all cases of male infertility. There has been a 60% decline in sperm counts worldwide in the past 50 years, and the number of infertile men has risen by 76.9% since 1990. Dr Cesa Diaz, chief medical officer of IVI RMA Northern Europe and former medical director of IVI London, explains: 'Male infertility contributes to up to half of all fertility challenges and is the sole cause in about 30% of cases. In some instances, men may have naturally lower sperm counts, but male fertility is also impacted by lifestyle factors such as age. Around age 40, sperm count, motility, and quality all start to decline. But lifestyle factors including diet, smoking, and stress can also impact fertility.'
'The reality is that fertility is no longer just a woman's issue,' adds Dr Diaz. 'Research has shown that there is still a lot of stigma around male infertility, which can prevent many men from seeking support. One study published in 2025 found that male infertility and fertility treatments can affect men's mental health. Another study into social media forums for male infertility found that 29% of posts from men included reports of feeling emasculated or isolated. The good news is that many men who suffer can go on to have a family. A specialist doctor will recommend the best treatment option, which might be standard IVF or ICSI, where a single healthy sperm is injected into an egg. Some couples may choose to use a sperm donor. For men who are not ready to start a family yet, sperm freezing is an option men can consider.'
A Happy Ending
Everything went smoothly, and twins, Ray and Evelyn, now five, were born via planned caesarean section in February 2021. Jenna remembers that during lockdown, before beginning treatment, the couple did a TV interview where Shaun suddenly started talking openly about his diagnosis. 'I was like "Woah, where has this come from?"' Jenna recalls. 'It came out and afterwards he started making calls to friends to tell them. I saw the weight he was carrying on his shoulders lift.'
'Shaun had really struggled. Very early on he said "If you want to leave me, I understand". I said don't be ridiculous. I knew we'd figure it out together. I even offered to use donor eggs so it was fair. But in the end, we just used the sperm donor. I don't know if he thought people would take the mickey out of him for having no sperm. But from the day he opened up, it spurred him on to talk to more and more people. He isn't ashamed anymore.'
The couple have always been open with their children about how they were conceived and have campaigned to raise awareness of male infertility. Shaun set up his Knackered Knackers Instagram account and NeXYs Fertility, a community platform that supports men going through similar challenges. 'Pretty much all the way through, Shaun never told anyone we were having IVF due to his infertility,' Jenna recalls. 'Infertility issues are 50/50 but everyone always assumes it's the woman's problem. I was never directly asked "What's wrong with you?", but that is what everyone thought and I just went along with it, as I didn't want Shaun to carry the burden.'
'Since being open he has found himself again and he has made it his mission to raise awareness. It's still not talked about enough. People still make comments like "Just relax and it will happen". I have to point out my husband has no sperm.'
Jenna, who works as a specialist teaching assistant, says people often comment that son Ray looks like Shaun. 'The bottom line is that genetics don't really matter,' she adds. 'Shaun is an incredible dad. It's about the love you give and the upbringing you provide. There is much more to being a parent than genes.'
