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Semen analysis
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A semen analysis, also called a spermatogram, is a laboratory test that evaluates male fertility.
To understand what is being looked at, it helps to know what semen is. It is a mixture: sperm are produced in the testicles and then pass through the epididymis, a coiled tube attached to the testicle where they finish maturing. Added to that are the secretions of the prostate, the seminal vesicles and the bulbourethral glands, the glands that supply the fluid.
The test does not stop at counting. It measures the total number of sperm, the volume of the ejaculate, the concentration, and also features of the sperm themselves: viability, meaning how many are alive; motility, how they move; and morphology, what shape they have. It is like inspecting a fleet: how many vehicles there are, what condition they are in, and which ones are moving. The sample is collected after a minimum of three and a maximum of seven days of abstinence.
In brief
A semen analysis, also called a spermatogram, is a laboratory test that evaluates male fertility.
Semen combines sperm made in the testicles and processed in the epididymis with secretions from the prostate, the seminal vesicles and the bulbourethral glands.
The test measures total sperm count, volume, concentration and features such as viability, motility and morphology; the sample is collected after three to seven days of abstinence.
It is like inspecting a fleet: how many vehicles there are, what condition they are in, and which ones are moving.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingSemen Analysis, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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