What a Semen Analysis Can Tell Us

Our team at Rocky Mountain Fertility Center, led by Reproductive Endocrinologist Dr. Deborah Smith, is nationally recognized for our innovative technology and high success rates.

We’re also well-known for our commitment to providing you the personalized care, support, and information you need as you make choices regarding infertility treatments. Our focus in our offices in Parker, Colorado, and Rapid City, South Dakota, is helping you achieve your dream of having a baby. We’re part of your team.

Here’s what we’d like you to know about a semen analysis.

Why would I need a semen analysis?

The infertility evaluation is the first step when being evaluated for infertility at Rocky Mountain Fertility Center. It’s what provides us with the information we need to develop a successful treatment strategy. For men, that evaluation starts with a semen analysis.

The underlying cause of infertility is essentially equal between men and women. A third of the time, it’s due to identifiable factors within the female reproductive system such as absence of ovulation. Another third of infertility cases are traceable to an abnormal semen analysis. The remaining third are linked to a combination of male and female issues.

Although it’s relatively inexpensive and noninvasive, the semen analysis our lab conducts contains a wealth of information that helps identify whether a male partner may have difficulty fathering a child. 

What information do you obtain from a semen analysis?

During a semen analysis, we evaluate the semen itself as well as the number and overall health of the sperm contained within the ejaculate.

Semen is the fluid produced during ejaculation. It contains sugar, protein substances, and sperm. 

Some of the measurements that factor into an analysis of semen include:

• Its pH level
• The volume of semen available during ejaculation
• Its color
• Its consistency or liquefaction factor

Sperm are, of course, a primary focus during a semen analysis. Questions we can answer through an evaluation include the number of sperm available in semen. Normal range for our lab is greater than or equal to 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen.

Other factors we’re interested in include:

• Overall sperm motility (movement)
• The shape and size of available sperm
• The direction in which sperm move

These characteristics of semen and sperm all play a significant role in male fertility.

Why sperm motility and morphology matter

The role of sperm in fertility may seem rather simple. After all, you just need one to travel far enough quickly enough to reach an egg that’s ready for fertilization. Several factors play a role in that journey, however.

Semen, for instance, is initially thick but should become watery enough over time to permit sperm to move easily along their path to fertilize an egg. The overall number of sperm within semen is vital, but so is the sperms’ ability to move forward toward the egg. Slow-moving sperm may not survive long enough to reach or fertilize an egg. Abnormally shaped sperm may be unable to penetrate a fertilized egg.

Identifying the quantity as well as the overall health of sperm provides information our team needs to design a successful fertility treatment strategy.

If the semen is abnormal we may recommend supplements that can be purchased at Bella Vita Holistic Health or online for improving semen quality and therefore improving the chance of natural conception.

For more information about the services we offer, schedule an evaluation at Rocky Mountain Fertility Center today