Synopsis

Synopsis

Analyzing the semen quality prior to conducting female fertility tests is convenient, non-invasive and cost effective.  In fact, clinical motivation for assessing semen quality is that it can identify a possible cause of infertility non-invasively and may aid in the prognosis of the therapeutic options the couple have. 

The primary purpose of semen analysis is to evaluate whether or not an ejaculate is potentially fertile, and if even one spermatozoon is present, the possibility for fertilization exists. 

When semen is deposited near and around the cervix during coitus, only a motile sperm of a precise size and shape can penetrate and migrate through the cervical mucus. These sperm parameters – namely the sperm number, motility, and morphology are therefore essential for in-vivo fertility and are routinely assessed during diagnostic evaluation of the ejaculate. Taken together, clinicians rely on these standard sperm parameters as a measure of male fertility potential 

Successful fertilization involves direct sperm-oocyte syngamy and male-female chromosomal fusion, culminating in embryonic development. 

Healthy sperm, although fully formed at the moment of ejaculation, are not yet able, in and of themselves, to fertilize an egg. Prior to making contact with the oocyte, sperm must undergo further membrane changes such as capacitation and acrosome reaction. Membrane integrity is essential for capacitation and acrosome reaction and our Hypo-Osmotic Swelling test (Sperm Function Analysis) will determine whether it has acceptable quality.

Healthy sperm, although fully formed at the moment of ejaculation may appear normal but the nuclear quality may be compromised and our DNA Integrity Test for DNA fragmentation and Immature DNA will determine whether it has acceptable quality.

If these tests reveal inadequate semen quality, then a test that may identify why the quality is inadequate should be employed. 

If sperm motility is affected, then it may be due to an asymptomatic infection or due to immunological factors then our test for the presence of Leucocytes and or Antisperm antibody will determine. 

Generally, one finds a large variation in semen quality, since it is influenced by the days of sexual abstinence and the extent of sexual excitement. It is therefore highly recommended that two or more ejaculates are analyzed prior to truly identify the semen quality. 

For practical reasons, at least two ejaculates should be analyzed and if either one of them has poor quality, then additional ejaculates should be analyzed to confirm the findings. 

An ejaculate should be collected after two to three days of sexual abstinence. Most of the established sperm quality estimates are based on this time period. 

If quality is acceptable, then a second ejaculate should be analyzed after a sexual abstinence period corresponding to the couple’s usual coital frequency, thereby obtaining a realistic assessment of typical semen quality for that procreation couple.