Justin Houman, MD — An Honest Editorial Review

Male factor contributes to roughly half of all infertility diagnoses, yet most Los Angeles couples first meet only a reproductive endocrinologist (REI) — the female-side specialist. Reproductive urologists are a smaller subspecialty: urologists who complete an additional fellowship in male reproductive medicine and microsurgery. Dr. Justin Houman sits in that group — a board-certified urologist and fellowship-trained microsurgeon whose practice is focused on male factor infertility, andrology, and men's sexual health, not general urology and not IVF itself.

His office sits in the Cedars-Sinai Medical Tower on West 3rd Street, and he holds an appointment as Assistant Professor of Urology at Cedars-Sinai. Patients who reach him are typically couples already in the IVF pathway who need surgical sperm retrieval, men with azoospermia or severe oligospermia, post-vasectomy patients weighing reversal against retrieval, and men with fertility-relevant varicoceles.

Training and Credentials

Dr. Houman earned his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, completed a general surgery internship and urology residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and then trained in Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at UCLA Medical Center — a fellowship held by a small minority of practicing urologists in the United States. He is board certified by the American Board of Urology and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS). His academic appointment as Assistant Professor of Urology at Cedars-Sinai puts him in a teaching role alongside clinical practice. Publication activity is indexed on PubMed.

Services and Procedures

Verified services listed on his practice site include:

• Semen analysis and andrology workup
• Microsurgical varicocelectomy (subinguinal)
• Vasectomy reversal
• Testicular sperm extraction (TESE) and microdissection TESE (micro-TESE)
• Epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA and MESA)
• Sperm cryopreservation, including fertility preservation before gonadotoxic cancer treatment
• Hormonal evaluation and management of hypogonadism
• Coordinated surgical sperm retrieval timed with a partner's IVF cycle

Related reading on Fertlo: male factor infertility and IVF.

Coordination with IVF Clinics

Male-fertility specialists rarely work in isolation. When a couple pursues IVF and the male partner has severe oligospermia or non-obstructive azoospermia, the reproductive urologist performs the sperm retrieval (TESE or micro-TESE) — ideally on the same day the partner's eggs are retrieved, so fresh sperm can be used for ICSI. That requires tight scheduling with the partner's REI and embryology lab. Dr. Houman's practice inside the Cedars-Sinai Medical Tower sits on the same medical campus used by several major Los Angeles IVF programs, which simplifies same-day coordination.

Success Rates and Evidence Base

Male-fertility procedures are not reported to the CDC's ART registry — that dataset tracks IVF on the female side. Evidence for this subspecialty is measured differently: varicocelectomy by post-operative semen parameter improvement and pregnancy rates; micro-TESE by sperm retrieval rate, which published series generally report in the 40–60% range for non-obstructive azoospermia. Clinical practice guidelines are published by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) jointly with the American Urological Association.

Patient Experience

Google reviews sit at 5.0 across 213 ratings, and Yelp at 4.9 across 64. The useful signal is the combination of volume and consistency — sustained high ratings across a sizable sample are harder to game than a handful of glowing reviews. Patient themes tend to center on diagnostic explanations and surgical consult clarity.

Considering At-Home Insemination?

Not every fertility journey begins with male-factor treatment. For couples with no known male-factor diagnosis, at-home intracervical insemination (ICI) is a lower-cost, private option that suits patients with no known fertility diagnosis — including single parents by choice, same-sex couples, and people who want to try a few cycles before committing to clinical treatment.

At-home insemination kits like those from MakeAMom come with step-by-step instructions designed for donor or partner sperm. Kits are a one-time purchase that can be reused until conception succeeds, require no clinic visit, and arrive in plain, discreet packaging.

If semen analysis has already shown severe oligospermia, azoospermia, or a known varicocele, at-home insemination is not appropriate — a reproductive urologist is the right next step.

Insurance and Cost in California

California expanded fertility coverage under SB 729, signed in 2024, with phased implementation requiring large- and small-group plans to cover infertility diagnosis and treatment including IVF. Male-fertility surgeries are sometimes adjudicated under the urologic/surgical benefit rather than the fertility benefit, which can affect prior authorization and copay structure — worth verifying directly with your carrier before scheduling. Background reading: fertility insurance mandates by state (2025).

Location, Hours, and Contact

Address: 8635 W 3rd Street, Suite 1W, Los Angeles, CA 90048 (Cedars-Sinai Medical Tower) Phone: (310) 854-9898 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30am–5:00pm Website: houmanmd.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Dr. Houman do IVF? No. IVF — ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, embryology, and embryo transfer — is performed by a reproductive endocrinologist (REI) and an embryology lab. Dr. Houman is a reproductive urologist; his role in an IVF pathway is the male-side evaluation and, when needed, surgical sperm retrieval. Couples typically pair a reproductive urologist with a separate IVF clinic.

How is microsurgical varicocelectomy different from other varicocele repairs? A microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy is performed under an operating microscope, which lets the surgeon identify and preserve the testicular arteries and lymphatics while ligating only the dilated veins. Non-microsurgical approaches (open retroperitoneal, laparoscopic) carry higher rates of hydrocele formation and arterial injury in published series, which is why ASRM/AUA guidance favors the microsurgical technique when fertility is the indication.

When should a man see a reproductive urologist instead of a general urologist? ASRM/AUA guidance recommends a male-factor evaluation by a specialist with reproductive urology training when initial semen analysis is abnormal, when a couple has not conceived after 12 months of unprotected intercourse (6 months if the female partner is 35 or older), after a prior vasectomy with new reproductive goals, or when azoospermia, a clinically significant varicocele, or suspected hypogonadism is identified.

Editorial note: Fertlo is an independent directory. See our editorial policy for how we research and update clinic profiles.