Infertility Tests in Men
Male infertility involves about 50% of all infertile couples. The main test for infertility in men is the spermcount also known as sperm analysis which tests the ejaculate for sperm numbers, ejaculate volume, sperm motility, and sperm morphology.
Semen Analysis: This is the basic male fertility test, which determines a man's fertility
Semen volume and concentration - the number of sperm cells present in one milliliter (1 ml or 1cc) of semen.
Sperm motility - the percentage of moving sperm and how they are moving (rapid, moderate, slow; progressively forward, erratic movement or simply moving in place.
Sperm morphology - the shape of sperm heads, determined by strict criteria; and whether there is a significant number of immature sperm.
Reference values:
Volume - 2 ml or more
Sperm concentration - > 20 million/ml of semen
Motility - > 50% of sperm moving in forward linear motion
Morphology at least 14% with normal head shapes, using strict criteria.
If the first analysis is unsatisfactory in terms of sperm number, a second semen analysis taken after a month may be advisable.
Even if your semen analysis shows a deficiency in sperm number (< 10 million / cc) or quality (sub-optimal motility and morphology), you can still proceed with your fertility treatment immediately by using a technique called intra - cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
With ICSI, only one sperm cell is needed to inseminate an egg. So, theoretically, if the female partner produces 5 mature eggs during an IVF cycle, only 5 sperm cells are needed for ICSI.
In many cases, if the semen analysis is poor - especially in younger men doctors advise the patient to see a urologist who can determine if there are conditions that can be treated to improve the semen.
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