Nearly half of all infertility problems are attributed to the male half of the couple. Therefore, it is extremely common and necessary to test both partners when trying to determine the possible causes of infertility.
You may be surprised when you see an infertility specialist and they ask to test the man first. Some see this as unfair and feel as if the finger is being pointed unjustly at them. This is a normal reaction, but you must understand that there is a good reason for testing the man first. The tests performed through a semen analysis are a lot less invasive than the tests involved in diagnosing a female patient.
A semen analysis can tell your infertility doctor a lot about your semen and your sperm. First, your semen will be analyzed. When you look at the results, you may have questions.
Viscosity refers to the liquidity of the semen. The semen will be checked for thickening after ejaculation. If it does not stay liquid, then sperm can have trouble maneuvering through it to fertilize an egg, or the sperm may actually be killed. This could indicate an infection.
The fructose levels of the sample will also be checked. Low levels could make for slow, motionless or stalemate sperm. The sperm need fructose for energy to give themselves the forward momentum and speed necessary for fertilizing an egg.
The pH balance of the semen should be alkaline. This protects it from the acidic vaginal fluids that it will come in contact with.
The sperm is the next thing to be examined in your semen analysis. Sperm is analyzed for motility, morphology, clumping and volume.
Volume refers to how many sperm are present in your semen sample. A sperm count is considered low if it is below 20 million sperm per milliliter. If there are no sperm present at all, then you may be diagnosed as azoospermic. Sperm count is affected by many factors and more than one sample may be needed to determine that it is actually the cause of infertility.
Clumping occurs when sperm sticks together and is rendered immobile. If there is no way for the sperm to break free and become mobile, then it can not fertilize an egg.
Motility measures how well your sperm can move and produce a forward motion. Ideally, a good portion of your sperm should be able to swim fast in a forward motion. Some may swim in a sideways or irregular pattern. Some may have no forward motion at all, even though they appear active. Inactive sperm are unable to move at all.
The morphology of the sperm refers to its shape. The shape of the sperm should consist of an oval head, a defined mid-piece and a long tail. All semen samples have some irregular sperm with two tails, round heads, no tails, no mid-piece or other deformity. If there are too many irregular sperm, then conception may be difficult.
Talk to your infertility specialist about any questions you may have concerning your semen analysis. This information is provided by Dr. Eric Daiter MD.
About the Author: Dr. Eric Daiter (Eric Daiter), the medical director of The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine, LLC, a leading NEW JERSEY INFERTILITY CENTER. Dr. Eric Daiter MD offers a complete range of MALE INFERTILITY AND FEMALE INFERTILITY TREATMENT.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment