Semen Analysis – The Basics of a Sperm Test for Male Infertility

If you haven’t been able to get pregnant after a year of trying, it may be due to male fertility problems. A semen analysis is a sperm test that can help you and your partner figure out why you’re not conceiving a baby as quickly as you’d like!

Before the tips, a quip:

“It is a well-documented fact that guys will not ask for directions,” says humor writer Dave Berry. “This is a biological thing. This is why it takes several million sperm cells…to locate a female egg, despite the fact that the egg is, relative to them, the size of Wisconsin.”

But what if the man doesn’t have several million sperm? What if he has none? That’s why a semen analysis is important – it’s the number one test for infertility for men and it can reveal fertility problems, such as oligospermia. Here’s a description of the basic procedure for a sperm test in a medical laboratory or doctor’s office. To do a similar test at home, click PreConceive’s Male Fertility Test for more information.

How a Semen Analysis Works

The man will supply a sperm sample, either at home or in the doctor’s office or laboratory. The semen needs to be analyzed within a few hours of leaving the man’s body, or the sperm test won’t be accurate. If he finds it awkward or embarrassing to procure the sperm sample himself, his partner can help bring forth the sample. Magazines or videos are also an option – but many couples find that it brings them closer to produce the sperm sample together. It can be fun, and even romantic!

What Are Doctors Looking for in a Sperm Test?

Sperm morphology or physical abnormalities – to fertilize an egg, his sperm cells need to be at least 30% normal (normal shape and size of sperm head). Not all sperm is normal, and not all sperm needs to be normal. A man with just half normal sperm cells can get a woman pregnant.

Total volume – if he doesn’t produce enough semen (less than 2.5 milliliters), his seminal ducts may be blocked or he may not be making enough sperm. Semen volume of 2 to 5 milliliters is considered normal.

Sperm count – the semen analysis will reveal how many sperm he produces, which will help doctors figure out if male infertility is the cause of the woman not getting pregnant. A normal sperm count ranges from 40 to 300 million sperm per milliliter. Sperm counts below 10 million are poor (oligospermia); no sperm count is azoospermia. If sperm count is an issue, read foods that increase sperm count, production, and motility.

Sperm motility and velocity – sperm motility is the number of active sperm cells (50% should be actively swimming forwards), while sperm velocity is how well the sperm moves.

Liquefaction – doctors also test whether sperm coagulates after about 20 minutes (normal sperm does this). If the semen doesn’t coagulate properly, then there may be a problem with the seminal vesicles.

For more information on improving male fertility, read How to Increase Sperm Count Naturally.