Everything you need to know about Semen test – Health and Glow

If you or your partner is having difficulty in conceiving, it not only bothers you but seriously grieves. There is no doubt that you will try to find out the reason behind not getting pregnant.

However, problems related to not getting pregnant can be found not only in women but also in men. Infertility problems occur in half of the cases of infertility in men. And because infertility in men is often due to sperm deficiency, doctors often order semen to be tested in such a condition.

What is a semen test?

Semen examination is known by many names like sperm screening and semen analysis. In this test, the health and vitality of men sperm are tested. Semen is the fluid released from the penis during ejaculation in men, which contains sperm. Along with sperm, there are other substances like sugar and protein in men’s semen. Semen examination is measured as the main three factors:

Sperm count
Sperm size
Sperm motility

Doctors often perform two or three different sperm tests to know about the health of sperm. According to the “American Association for the Clinical Chemistry” (AACC), semen should be tested seven times within three months and only once a day. Each time the semen is examined, the sperm count may also vary. Taking the average of the numbers found in all the samples tested can give the most accurate results.

Why semen is tested

To check male infertility -When a couple has difficulty in conceiving, the man’s semen is examined. This test helps the doctor to know the infertility of the male. If the cause of infertility is sperm deficiency or other sperm related disorder, it can also be detected with the help of semen examination.

To find out if vasectomy has been successful or not -Men who have undergone a vasectomy have their semen tested to make sure they have sperm. In vasectomy, the tube that carries sperm from the testis to the penis is closed midway. To ensure that there is no sperm in the semen after vasectomy, the doctor once a month

Before semen examination

The doctor will tell you what preparations you should do before getting the semen examined. To get the exact results of semen examination, it is necessary to follow the guidelines given by the doctor completely.

To get a good sample of semen, keep in mind

A. Do not ejaculate for 24 to 72 hours before getting the test done (read more – treatment of early ejaculation)
B. Do not consume alcohol, tea, coffee and other drugs like cocaine and cannabis for two to five days before the test.
C. If you are eating any type of herbal medicine then tell your doctor about them and if the doctor asks them to leave then leave the medicines for the time prescribed by them.
D. If you are eating any type of hormone medicines, then leave them as advised by the doctor.
E. Apart from this, if you take any type of medicine, supplements or any other product, then tell the doctor about them well before getting the test done.

During semen examination

You have to give a sample of semen to your doctor or lab to check the semen. There are four main methods of consuming semen sample:

1. Masturbation
2. Sex with condom
3. Ejaculating penis before ejaculation while having sex
4. Ejaculation by electrical devices
5. Masturbation is preferred to get a clear sample of semen.

Getting a good sample of semen

Two main factors are important to get a good sample of semen to test.

First – semen should be kept at body temperature. Because if it is kept at very hot or very cold temperature then the test results are affected.
Secondly, semen should be sent for a test within 30 to 60 minutes of release from the body.

There are some factors that have a negative impact on the test results:

1. Exposure of sperm to spermicide
2. Taking a sample to check the semen when you are sick or stressed
3. A mistake or mistake made by a lab technician
4. Semen contamination

There are no known risks associated with sperm analysis.

If the result of semen does not fall within the normal range even after handling the sample properly, your doctor may ask you if you are not consuming any of the following substances (because it affects all sperm count. Can):

a. alcohol
b. Caffeine
c. herbal medicines
d. Drugs used in doctor-prescribed medications that reduce sperm count, eg, Cimetidine
e. Drugs or other drugs
f.Tobacco

Semen examination at home

Tests done at home to test the semen are also available. However, they only examine sperm count. Tests done at home do not analyze the size and motility of sperm.The result of a test done at home for semen examination often comes in 10 minutes. If the result of a test done at home has a normal sperm count (20 million sperm in one millimeter of semen), it does not necessarily mean that the male is capable of reproduction. This is because all possible causes of male infertility cannot be examined in a semen examination done at home.If you are concerned about fertility, then it is better for you to go to the lab instead of home and get the experts tested because your fertility is widely evaluated in the lab.

After semen examination

The exact result of the semen test is to keep the sample very carefully and test several samples. This test provides a wide range of information that helps in determining the factors affecting the fertility of the male. The result of the test comes 24 hours to 1 week after taking the semen sample. If your test results are abnormal then the doctor can refer you to fertility specialist doctors.

What does the result of semen test mean

Normal result of semen examination

When doctors read the results of the semen test, they have to take care of many things. The examination of semen after vasectomy only checks for the presence of sperm. But the semen is examined in depth in a test of semen for infertility or reproductive problems. In the examination of semen, doctors carefully examine all the following factors.

Shape of sperm

For normal results of semen examination, more than 50 percent of sperm should be in normal shape. If a person has more than 50 percent sperm in the sample of the semen whose size is abnormal, then his fertility may decrease. During the test, the sperm head, middle part and tail are examined. It is also possible that sperm are not fully mature due to which they are unable to fertilize the egg.
Mobility of sperm – More than 50 percent of sperm in the semen is required to remain normally moving even after 1 hour of ejaculation because the sperm have to reach the egg. A machine evaluates the motility of sperm and measures their mobility status on a scale of 0 to 4. The numeral 0 means that the sperm are not moving at all and the numerals 3 and 4 indicate that the sperm are normally moving.
PH Level – The normal pH test results in a pH level of 7.2 to 7.8. If the pH level is above 8.0 it can be a sign of infection. If the pH level falls below 7.0, it indicates that the semen sample is contaminated or the male ejaculatory tubes are blocked. (Read more – STD Disease)
Semen Volume – To get an accurate and general result of semen examination, at least 2 millimeters of semen sample should be taken. If the quantity of sample is small, then the sperm count fertilizing the egg will also be less in it.
Liquefaction – It takes 15 to 30 minutes before semen is diluted. Although the semen is very thick, but its ability to be diluted helps the sperm to move. If the semen does not change into liquid form for 15 to 30 minutes, it affects male fertility.
Sperm count – The normal sperm test results are 20 million to 20 million. Tests that check sperm count are also known as sperm density. The lower the sperm count in semen, the more difficult it is to conceive.

How Sperm Appears (Appearance)

In the normal result of a test of semen, the sperm are blurred white or blurred-transparent. If red or brown spots appear in sperm, then it is a sign of the presence of blood. If yellow spots appear in sperms, they indicate jaundice or side effects of a medicine.

Unusual results of semen examination

If sperm are abnormal, they have difficulty reaching the egg and fertilizing it, which makes it difficult to conceive. Abnormal semen test results may indicate:

1. Infertility
2. Infection
3. Hormone imbalance
4. Diseases like diabetes
5. Gene defects
6. Exposure to radiation

If your result is abnormal, the doctor may suggest you to get some other tests done, including:

a. Genetics test (eg DNA test)
b. Hormone test
c. Urine test after ejaculation
d. Samples of testicular tissue (biopsy)
e. Anti-sperm immune cells testing