Semen Analysis
The first step towards understanding your fertility.
About the Test
A semen analysis (sometimes known as a spermogram) is a quick, non-invasive fertility test for men and one of the first checks which should be performed when a couple has experienced difficulty with falling pregnant. When you book an appointment with us, you will be required to produce your sample at home and drop it off at the time of your appointment; this must be within 1 hour of the time your sample was produced, in accordance with the World Health Organisation guidelines - this ensures that your sample is of optimum quality for an accurate assessment.
Why book with us?
There are a lack of designated spaces dedicated to men’s fertility, across London and the UK. Our patients often run into obstacles when looking for a simple male fertility test in London; lengthy waiting times for appointments and unclear results to name just a few, which can be extremely frustrating when trying to conceive.
Our small, friendly and knowledgable team of staff are passionate about helping men to not only understand more about their fertile health, but to do so in an environment which feels comfortable, inviting and discreet.
Unlike NHS services, when you have a private sperm test, you will have direct access to your results within 3 working days, with the option of booking a follow up consultation* if there is anything at all you need advice about.
Our semen analysis test examines the following parameters of your sperm:
MOTILITY:
This test assesses how well the sperm cells move. It is important to determine the overall motility of the sample to give an indication of how likely the sperm are to reach and fertilise the egg within the natural environment.
CONCENTRATION:
Also referred to as the sperm count, this is the number of sperm cells present in 1 ml of your ejaculate. A healthy concentration of sperm is important to achieve a pregnancy naturally.
MORPHOLOGY:
The sperm cells are stained and observed under a high magnification to look in-depth at the structure of the cells. Any defects to the head, tail or midpiece of the cell are recorded and the number of morphologically ‘normal’ sperm are reported as a percentage.
LIQUEFACTION:
It is important to allow the sample to ‘liquefy’ from a thick substance into a watery consistency – this usually happens naturally within around 20 minutes after ejaculation. This makes it easier to assess the sample under the microscope.
APPEARANCE:
This is observed under the naked eye by the Andrologist to check for any variations in colour and opacity.
VOLUME:
The sample is weighed to determine its volume – this value is multiplied by the sperm concentration to give the total number of sperm cells present in the ejaculate.
pH:
A pH value of between 7.2 – 8 is ideal; below 7.2 indicates a more acidic sample, whereas any value above 8 indicates a more alkaline sample. A pH which is higher or lower than the normal values can suggest there is too much or too little secretions from one of the accessory glands involved in semen production – the underlying cause of this may be identified after further investigation.
AGGREGATION:
Sometimes, immotile sperm can bind to each other, or motile sperm can bind to other cells which can cause problems with conceiving naturally.
AGGLUTINATION:
Motile sperm can ‘agglutinate’ or stick together, head-to-head or tail-to-tail which can make it difficult to assess the sample accurately.
ROUND CELLS:
Leukocytes (white blood cells) in sperm can indicate there are signs of inflammation and infection in the body, and immature sperm cells can indicate a problem with the production of mature sperm cells by the testes.
MAR TEST:
The mixed anti-globulin reaction (MAR) is performed to test for the presence of anti-sperm antibodies in the ejaculate. These antibodies coat the surface of the sperm., and may damage the cells, reduce their motility and thus prevent fertilisation occurring.
Book your test for £189
Comprehensive Semen Analysis - £189