What Do the Results of My Sperm Analysis Mean?

If you or your partner will be supplying sperm for your surrogacy journey, it will be important to get your specimen tested to determine its viability. Your urologist should be able to walk you through your results, but it’s helpful to walk into that conversation armed with some basic knowledge of what your doctor is looking for.

Most of us have heard that it is helpful to have a high “sperm count” when trying to conceive—but there are actually quite a few measurements represented by this term that your urologist will be analyzing, including total number of sperm in your ejaculate; the concentration of sperm in each milliliter; and the total volume of fluid in your ejaculate; how fast your sperm moves; and the overall shape of your sperm. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides some helpful guidelines on what constitutes a “healthy” sperm sample for each of the below factors:

Sperm Analysis Measurements: Total Sperm Count, Sperm Concentration, Ecajulate Volume, Sperm Motility, Sperm Morphology.

• Total Sperm Count: This number represents the total number of sperm in your ejaculate—and is the number we usually think of when we hear of our “sperm count.” The WHO specifies a healthy overall sperm count per ejaculate to include anywhere from 39-928 million sperm.
• Sperm Concentration: While knowing the total number of sperm in your sample is important, it’s also helpful to understand how concentrated your sperm is in your semen. This number measures the total number of sperm per milliliter of ejaculate. According to the WHO, a healthy sample is anywhere from 15-259 million sperm per milliliter.
•  Ejaculate Volume: Your urologist will also be looking at the total volume of fluid in your ejaculate, which is made up of both sperm cells and a wide variety of other minerals and plasma that make up seminal fluids. The WHO says a healthy ejaculate volume is anywhere from 1.5 to 7.6 milliliters.
• Sperm Motility: Sperm health is also dictated by how well your sperm is able to move. Your urologist will test many of your sperm or moving normally in your ejaculate. According to the WHO, a healthy motility rate includes a sample where anywhere between 40 to 81% of sperm are moving normally.
• Sperm Morphology: The last main measurement your urologist will consider to determine your overall sperm health relates to the morphology, or shape, of your sperm. A “normal” sperm shape includes a head, neck and tail. Surprisingly, ejaculates often include sperm that have abnormal shapes. In fact, the WHO specifies that a sample with normal sperm morphology of just 4% or more is considered healthy.

How can I improve the health of my sperm?

It’s important to note that even if any of the above numbers from your sperm analysis are abnormal, it won’t necessarily preclude you from creating healthy embryos with your genetic material. There are several simple changes you can make to your lifestyle or diet that can help you improve your overall sperm health. In fact, roughly 98% of men can eventually achieve a viable sperm sample. Here are some ways you can improve your sperm health:

• Quit smoking: Research has demonstrated the negative impact cigarette smoking can have on sperm quality. In studies, cigarette smoking is associated with lower total sperm count, lower semen volume, and slower sperm motility. Smoking can also lead to more abnormally shaped sperm. The good news is quitting smoking can help improve sperm quality across all these categories.
• Reduce or quit drinking: While occasional drinking has not been found to impact sperm quality in a significant way, frequent drinking and binge drinking might have a negative impact. Cutting back or eliminating alcohol from your diet for several weeks prior to creating embryos can help improve quality.
• Lose weight: Overweight and obese men are more likely to have poor sperm quality, with reduced total counts, concentrations, and poorer motility. Maintaining a healthy body mass index can help improve these numbers.
• Exercise: Studies have found that men who exercise regularly, several times a week at a moderate to vigorous level, had significantly higher total sperm counts than men who are sedentary.
• Stop certain medications: Certain prescription drugs have been found to negatively impact sperm quality. Men taking testosterone, for instance, will need to stop as the hormone in most instances causes infertility. The hair growth drug finasteride, better known as Propecia, can also reduce sperm quality.