One in six couples are infertile, and in 50% of these couples, a male factor plays a role. Therefore, it is imperative that physicians become comfortable in the basic evaluation of the infertile male. By performing a thorough history and physical examination, physicians can usually establish a differential diagnosis and proceed to laboratory testing that will help to establish an etiology for infertility. The purpose of this review is to provide general guidelines for a physician seeking to evaluate a man's fertility status and to suggest the most common pathologies that might be found through a directed work-up.