Men who have difficulty impregnating their wife or partner may decide to have their semen analyzed. If the man is able to give his semen sample while at the laboratory, the semen is analyzed within a half of hour to be certain that the sample is fresh. If the man prefers to prepare his sample at home and bring it to laboratory instead, he can, as long as the laboratory agrees. The sperm is then tested for many different factors that indicate its strength and fertility.
Ejaculation Volume
A healthy adult male can ejaculate between 2 and 6 ml. This measures out to be about a teaspoon of semen. A number less than this measurement may indicate problems. A lower ejaculate number may be analyzed as holding too few sperm to impregnate a woman. A higher number may mean too much ejaculate, which can dilute the sperm, potentially causing a lower chance of pregnancy.
pH
Another aspect of semen analysis is measuring the pH. The pH measure of semen can be a factor in detecting problems with male reproduction. Normal semen is alkaline which can mean a greater chance of surviving the journey through the acidic conditions of the vagina. If the pH measure shows the semen is acidic, it will probably not survive the conditions of the vagina. An acidic pH measure may also be analyzed as showing low amounts of ejaculate.
Fructose Power
Sperm analysis can help determine which factor may be causing a low sperm count. One of these factors is fructose energy, which gives sperm their movement out of the penis. The seminal vesicles produce the fructose. When the fructose is absent in the vesicles, this can mean that there is a problem such as a blockage in the ejaculatory duct.
Sperm Count
In a sperm analysis, most healthy males will have approximately 20 million sperm per sample. Those men who have less than this number in an analysis have a low sperm count. There are some men who have no sperm whatsoever in a sperm analysis. This is known as azoospermic.
Grades of Sperm
In order to fertilize the woman's egg, the male's sperm must be able to reach the egg. There are four grades of sperm. Grade A sperm can swim toward the egg quickly and directly. Grade B sperm swim toward the egg, just not directly. Grade C sperm do not move forward, while Grade D sperm just don't move. These traits can be analyzed with use of a microscope as part of the process.
Sperm Shape
Normal shaped sperm have a round head and a tail. Abnormal sperm have variations on these characteristics. These include lack of a tail, multiple heads, or an oversized head. Normal sperm can fertilize an egg, however, abnormal sperm cannot. Sperm shape are commonly noted during the analysis using the appropriate microscopes by scientists. There generally should be a minimum of 15 percent of normal sperm per ejaculation to impregnate a woman.
Clumping
When the sperm do not move individually but in a clump or mass they do not move well. This can be noted through use of a microscope as part of the analysis. This situation is commonly called clumping. This clumping does not allow proper movement for the sperm and can impede them from making their way to the egg.
Tags: Grade sperm, analysis This, conditions vagina, directly Grade, directly Grade sperm