Semen Analysis: What To Think About

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What To Think About

• A semen sample collected at home must be received at the laboratory or clinic within 1 hour. Keep the sample out of direct sunlight and do not allow it to get cold or hot. If it is a cold day, carry the semen sample container against your body to keep it as close to body temperature as possible. Do not refrigerate the semen sample.
• Consistently detecting sperm in the semen of a man who has had a vasectomy indicates that his surgery was not successful, and another form of birth control should be used to prevent pregnancy. A low number of sperm may be present in a semen sample taken initially after a vasectomy. However, sperm should not be present in subsequent samples.
• A man whose mother took the medicine diethylstilbestrol (DES) during her pregnancy with him has a greater-than-normal risk of being unable to father a child (infertile).
• Additional tests may include measuring hormone levels, such as testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), or prolactin. For more information, see the medical tests Testosterone, Luteinizing Hormone, Follicle-Stimulating Hormone, and Prolactin.
• Other fertility testing, including sperm penetration, the presence of antisperm antibodies, or analysis after sexual intercourse (postcoital), may be recommended for infertility problems. For more information, see the medical test Infertility Testing.

Last updated:	February 20, 2007
Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS
Reviewed By:	Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine, Avery L. Seifert, MD - Urology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer