What is a normal sperm count?

The sperm count checks to see if there are enough sperm. If the sample has less than 20 million sperm per ml, it is considered to have a low sperm count. Less than 10 million is very low. The technical term for this is oligospermia (oligo means few). Some men will have no sperm and are said to be azoospermic. This may come as an unpleasant surprise because the semen in these patients looks absolutely normal; only on microscopic examination is the problem detected.

What is normal sperm motility?

Whether or not the sperm move well (sperm motility). The quality of the sperm (Sperm Video) is usually more important than the count. Sperm motility (Sperm Video) is the ability to move. Sperm are of 2 types: those that swim and those that do not. Remember that only fast-moving sperm can swim to the egg and fertilize it; the others are of little use.

Motility is classified from a to ad, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Manual criteria, as follows.

• Grade A sperm (rapidly progressive) are those that move quickly in a straight line, like guided missiles.
• Grade b (slow progressive) sperm swim forward, but in a curved or crooked line, or slowly (slow linear or nonlinear motility).
• Grade c (non-progressive) sperm wag their tails, but do not advance (only local motility).
• Grade d (immotile) sperm do not move at all.

Grade c and d sperm are considered poor. If motility is poor

(this is called asthenospermia), this suggests that the testicle is producing poor quality sperm and is not working properly, and this may mean that even apparently motile sperm may not be able to fertilize the egg.

That’s why we worry when motility is only 20% (when should it be at least 50%?) Many men with low sperm counts ask, “But doctor, I only need a single sperm to fertilize the egg of another.” my wife. If my count is 10 million and motility is 20%, this means I have 2 million motile sperm in my ejaculate, why can’t I get her pregnant? functionally competent: they can’t fertilize the egg. The fact That only 20% of sperm are motile means that 80% are immotile, and if so many sperm (Sperm Video) can’t even swim, one worries about the functional capacity of the remaining sperm. After all, if the 80% of the televisions produced in a factory are defective, nobody is going to buy one of the remaining 20%, even if they seem normal.

What is normal sperm morphology?

Whether the sperm have a normal shape or not, which is called their shape or morphology. Ideally, a good sperm (Sperm Video) should have a regular oval head, with a connecting midpiece and a long, straight tail. If too many sperm are abnormally shaped (this is called teratozoospermia, when most sperm have abnormalities such as round heads, pinheads, very large heads, double heads, missing tails), this may mean that the sperm are functionally abnormal and they will not be able to fertilize the egg. Many laboratories use the “strict” Kruger criteria (developed in South Africa) to judge the normality of sperm. Only sperm that are “perfect” are considered normal. A normal sample must have at least 15% normal shapes (meaning even up to 85% abnormal shapes is considered acceptable!)

Clumping or agglomeration of sperm. Under the microscope, this looks like sperm stuck together in clusters. This affects sperm motility and prevents sperm from swimming through the cervix to the egg.

Putting it all together, one looks for the total number of “good” sperm in the sample: the product of the total count, the progressively motile sperm, and the normally shaped sperm. This gives the normal progressively motile sperm count, which is a crude index of the fertility potential of the sperm. So, for example, if a man has a total count of 40 million sperm per ml; of which 40% are progressively mobile; and 60% have a normal shape; then your normal progressively motile sperm count is: 40 X 0.40 X 0.60 = 9.6 million sperm per ml. If the volume of the ejaculate is 3 ml, then the total motile sperm count in the entire sample is 9.6 X 3 = 28.8 million sperm.

What does the presence of pus cells in semen mean?

Whether pus cells are present or not. While a few white blood cells in semen are normal, many pus cells suggest the presence of a seminal infection. Unfortunately, many labs cannot tell the difference between sperm precursor cells (normally found in semen) and pus cells. This often means men are overtreated with antibiotics for a “sperm infection” that doesn’t actually exist!

Some labs use a computer to do semen analysis. This is called CASA, or Computer Assisted Semen Analysis. While it may seem more reliable (because the test was “objectively” performed by a computer), there is still much controversy about its actual value, as many of the technical details have not been standardized and vary from lab to lab. .

What does a normal semen analysis report mean?

A report of normal sperm is reassuring and usually does not need to be repeated. If the semen analysis is normal, most doctors will not even need to examine the man, as this is superfluous. Remember, however, that just because sperm count and motility are within the normal range doesn’t necessarily mean a man is “fertile.” Even if the sperm cells show normal motility, this does not always mean that they are able to “work” and fertilize the egg. The only foolproof way to test if sperm work is through IVF (in vitro fertilization)!

What are the reasons for a poor semen analysis report?

Poor sperm tests can result from:

• incorrect semen collection technique, if the sample is not collected correctly, or if the container is dirty
• too long a delay between supplying the sample and its analysis in the laboratory
• too short an interval from the previous ejaculation
• Recent systemic illness within the last 3 months (even a flu or fever can temporarily lower sperm count)

If the sperm test is abnormal, it will need to be repeated several times over a period of 3 to 6 months to confirm whether or not the abnormality is persistent. Don’t jump to a conclusion based on a single report – remember that sperm counts tend to vary on their own! The tests take six weeks to produce new sperm, so you must wait before repeating the test. It also makes sense to repeat it from another lab, to make sure the report is valid.