Semen Analysis & Processing
Semen analysis, also known as a sperm count test, analyzes the health and viability of a man's sperm. Semen is the fluid containing sperm (plus other sugar and protein substances) that's released during male ejaculation.
A semen analysis measures three major factors of sperm health :
- The morphology of the sperm
- The number of sperm
- The movement of the sperm, also known as "sperm motility"
Doctors will often conduct two or three separate sperm analyses to get a good idea of sperm's health. According to the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), the tests should be conducted at least seven days apart and over the course of two to three months.Sperm counts can vary on a daily basis. Taking an average of the sperm samples can give the most conclusive result.
The sperm count in a normal semen analysis should be between 20 million to over 200 million. This result is also known as sperm density. If this number is low, conceiving can be more difficult.
