Please note specimens for semen analysis are accepted Monday through Friday BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Specimens must be handed to the lab clinician by the person who produced the sample along with a matching photo ID.
Purpose
A semen analysis measures three major factors of sperm health: the count, the motility (movement), and the morphology (shape).
Procedure
Patients can collect the specimen at home or collect onsite in our private collection room.
Preparation Instructions
It is necessary that you refrain from sexual activity/ejaculation for at least 2 days and no more than 3 days before producing the specimen. Wash your hands before collection and use ONLY the provided sterile container to catch the semen.
The specimen should be produced by masturbation directly into the labeled sterile container. Do not use any substances such as lubricant, saliva, lotion, cream, water, or begin intercourse. All of these can kill sperm.
It is important that the initial portion of the ejaculate goes into the container, as it contains almost all of the sperm.
If you are bringing your specimen in rather than producing it at our facility, we need to receive the specimen WITHIN ONE HOUR after it has been produced. While being transported to our facility, the container should be kept at body temperature (e.g. carried in an inside pocket next to the body). Temperature fluctuations can damage sperm thereby invalidating the results.
To schedule your semen analysis contact your local Kindbody clinic.
Results
Sperm Count*
A normal count ranges between 15 and 200 million per milliliter.
Sperm Motility*
Motility, or sperm movement, is evaluated in two ways. A normal result should have 32% or higher in “progressive motility”, which is the percentage of sperm swimming forward, and 40% or more in “total motility”, which is the percentage of sperm twitching/lacking forward movement.
Sperm Morphology*
A normal result is when more than 4% or more are normally shaped.
Sperm Morphology
Men can produce millions of new sperm each day but it takes 2.5 to 3 months for sperm to mature so they are able to swim and fertilize an egg.
See what other fertility testing is needed when evaluating one’s fertility.
*Typical parameters as determined by the World Health Organization Laboratory Manual for the Examination and Processing of Human Semen, 5th edition.
