Everything about Sperm Count totally explained
A
semen analysis evaluates certain characteristics of a man's
semen and the
sperm contained in the semen. It may be done while investigating a couple's
infertility or after a
vasectomy to verify that the procedure was successful.
Relation to fertility
The characteristics measured by semen analysis are only some of the factors in
semen quality. One source states that 30% of men with a normal semen analysis actually have abnormal sperm function. Conversely, men with poor semen analysis results may go on to father children.
Collection methods
The most common way to collect a semen sample is through
masturbation, directing the sample into a clean cup.
The
Catholic Church teaches that masturbation is immoral. For observant Catholics, collection condoms are the only morally permissible way to obtain semen samples. Catholics may put two or three pinholes in the collection condom to avoid violating the Catholic prohibition on
contraception.
A third option for collecting a sample is through
coitus interruptus (withdrawal). With this technique, the man removes his penis from the woman near the end of intercourse and ejaculates into a cup. This technique is mostly only recommended for men testing for success of a
vasectomy, in contrast to an investigation of
infertility,
Tested characteristics
Examples of parameters measured in a semen analysis are: sperm count, motility, morphology, volume, fructose level and pH.
Sperm count
Sperm count measures how many sperm are in a man's ejaculate. Anything over 20 million sperm per milliliter is considered normal.
Motility
The
motility of the sperm is evaluated.
WebMD defines normal motility as 60% of observed sperm, or at least 8 million per milliliter, showing good forward movement. a sample is normal if 14% or more of the observed sperm have normal morphology.
If the results from a man's first sample are subfertile, they must be verified with at least two more analyses. At least 2 to 4 weeks must be allowed between each analysis. Results for a single man may have a large amount of natural variation over time, meaning a single sample may not be representative of a man's average semen characteristics. In addition, sperm physiologist Joanna Ellington believes that the stress of producing an ejaculate sample for examination, often in an unfamiliar setting and without any lubrication (most lubricants are somewhat harmful to sperm), may explain why men's first samples often show poor results while later samples show normal results.
Measurement methods
Computer Assisted Semen Analysis (CASA) is a catch-all phrase for automatic or semi-automatic semen analysis techniques. Most systems are based on
image analysis, but alternative methods exist such as tracking cell movement on a
digitizing tablet. Computer-assisted techniques are most-often used for the assessment of sperm concentration and mobility characteristics, such as
velocity and linear velocity.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Sperm Count'.
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