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Semen Analysis
WHAT IS IT?
A fresh sample of semen will be analysed as part of an assessment of male fertility status. The semen sample will usually be tested by a specialist laboratory and be evaluated for;
* Semen volume, consistency and quality.
* Sperm count, percentage of active sperm, sperm shape and the presence of elements other than sperm, such as blood cells or evidence of infection.
* See bottom of this page for an indication of what is normal.
WHO NEEDS IT?
Any couple concerned about their fertility should ensure that the man is testedis . This particularly important for the following;
* Men with a history of reproductive tract infections or STDs
* Men concerned about exposure to environmental pollutants
* Men exposed to workplace hazards
* Male athletes exposed to conditions which might lower sperm counts
WHY BOTHER WITH IT?
* The male partner contributes to almost half of all infertility problems that couples face.
* 10-20% of all men have sperm counts below the WHO cut-off level.
* 2-3% of all males are completely infertile and produce no sperm at all.
* A simple semen test can prevent a lot of unecessary time, investigation of the female partner, and the associated costs.
HOW DO YOU DO IT?
* You can use our home screening test which is accurate and will indicate whether the sperm count is above or below the WHO cut-off levels defining fertility status. This is quick, private, and inexpensive test.
* You can arrange a test through your doctor. This should certainly be done if you come up negative with our home screening test. The doctors laboratory will also be able to assess other aspects of the semen such as sperm motility etc.
Semen Analysis - What is normal ?
volume of ejaculate 2.0 ml or more
pH 7.2-8.0
sperm concentration 20 million per ml spermatozoa or more
total sperm count 40 million per ml spermatozoa per ejaculate or more
motility 50% or more with forward progression
morphology 30% or more with normal forms
vitality 75% or more live,i.e.,excluding dye
white blood cells fewer than 1 million per ml
Semen Analysis - What terms might the doctor use ?
normozoospermia normal results as shown above
oligozoospermia sperm concentration fewer than 20 million per ml
asthenozoospermia fewer than 50% spermatozoa with forward progression
teratozoospermia fewer than 30% spermatozoa with normal morphology
oligoasthenoteratozoospermia signifies disturbance of all three variables above
azoospermia no spermatozoa in the ejaculate
aspermia no ejaculate
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A Nutritional Supplement for Men
Can increase sperm count and motility
aking Proxeed is a simple step you can take to promote fertility
Research has shown that among all healthy couples taking longer than expected to conceive, sperm quality is a sole contributing factor for as many as 40% and contributory in an additional 20%. Yet there are limited options available to improve sperm quality in men.
However, two metabolic cofactors, L-carnitine (LC) and acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC), have been shown through over 30 years of scientific research to play an important role in the metabolism, development and function of spermatozoa. Research with LC, ALC and sperm have been the subject of more than 200 published papers, and 11 human clinical trial reports involving almost 400 men. Proxeed is a dietary supplement containing these two ingredients and this section of our web site will explain the posisble benefits of using it.
Whilst we recommend the usual list of changes for men which are known to affect sperm quality ie healthy diet, regular exercise, stopping smoking, reducing stress, wearing boxer shorts, avoiding hot baths etc we also now recommend you consider taking Proxeed as a pro-active step in promoting your fertility.
Proxeed makes sense if you are known to have poor sperm quality or as part of the BabyStart programme we recommend for couples just starting to plan a pregnancy.
* Steps to enhance your fertility
* When conception does not occur
* Sperm Quality - What is normal ?
* Sperm Count
* Sperm concentration
* Sperm motility
* Sperm speed and direction
* Sperm morphology
Enhance your fertility
It only takes a few simple steps
* make sure your diet is a healthy one; cut back on caffeine and alcohol intake
* take regular exercise
* stop smoking
* avoid or reduce stress
* wear loose fitting underwear or boxer shorts
* take Vitamins C
* take Proxeed as a supplement to the above since it is a simple and straightforward way to reinforce your male fertility.
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When conception is not as easy as expected
Research has now clearly shown that male factors are implicated in at least 40% of all conception problems and a combination of factors involving both partners account for another 20% of conception problems. So it is important to recognise that you are not alone in being concerned about your fertility.
It is important to recognise that both the man and the woman should take steps to improve their fertility in order to improve their chances of conception. For men it makes sense to check your sperm count using our FertilMarq home screening kit and also to take Proxeed. Back to Top
Sperm Quality: what is normal ?
Sperm quality is judged on the basis of five factors defined by the World Health Organisation and if one of these factors is inadequate it can affect the chances of conception. These five factors are;
Number of sperm cells - this refers to the quantity of sperm cells in the sample of ejaculated semen. The normal ejaculate will contain more than 40 million sperm cells. Back to Top
Concentration of sperm cells - this refers to the numbers of sperm in a single millilitre of ejaculate. A normal semen sample will contain more than 20 million sperm cells per millilitre of ejaculate. Back to Top
Motility - this refers to the sperm cells ability to swim ie they should be strong swimmers! In a healthy semen sample more than 50% of the sperm will show excellent motility ie be strong swimmers, and 25% of them will move strongly in one direction. Experts believe that this is an important characteristic of sperm because of their need to swim from the vagina, through the cervix, into the womb and up the fallopian tubes to meet the released egg when ovulation occurs.Back to Top
Speed - Some sperm cells move faster than others and at least 25% of the sperm cells should have fast and straight forward movement.
Morphology - This refers to the size and shape of the sperm and a healthy sperm looks rather like a tadpole. At least 30% of sperm cells should have normal shape and size.
The active ingredients in Proxeed support sperm quality by providing metabolic substrates for the cells making the sperm cells. Proxeed has been shown to improve sperm quantity, concentration, motility and speed of sperm cells.
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