Semen Quality
During ejaculation, roughly 100 million sperm per millimeter can be found in the semen. While this number sounds very high, sperm actually make up approximately 10% of the total semen volume. The seminal fluid contain various other components, like enzymes and fructose which allow the sperm cells to swim and survive.
Semen Quality is the sperm’s ability to accomplish fertilization. To test for semen quality, a Semen Analysis is used to look at count, morphology, and motility. The count identifies how many sperm are present in the fluid, the morphology identifies the percentage of sperm that is normal in appearance, and motility identifies the speed of the moving sperm.
How does Semen Quality affect Fertility?
Many factors influence sperm quality, such as age, medication, hormones, diet, and the last ejaculation. Depending on the type of reproductive treatment you are seeking, you may be instructed to abstain within a certain time frame. Abstaining for too long or too short can reduce semen quality.
Azoospermia is a condition in which there’s no measurable sperm in the semen.
How can Assisted Reproductive Treatment like IVF help?
When looking at male-factor infertility, there may be an issue with the count, morphology, motility, or a combination of the three. In each case, your doctor will analyze which issues are most present and recommend a lifestyle change or reproductive medicine protocol that will help with semen quality.
