Male Sperm Test

There are various ways to have a male sperm test and if you have a low sperm count you should probably have one.

Anti Sperm Antibodies Test

Ideally the result of this male sperm test should be negative. However if there is a problem it will be one of the following. The result of the test is positive and the antibodies are present on the head of the male sperm which affects the ability of the sperm to penetrate the egg or they are on the tail of the sperm which impedes it's mobility. This male infertility test is done using immunobeads.

Postcoital Test (PCT)

The postcoital test is the easiest of the male fertility tests. It is done when the female partner is ovulating, during which time the cervical mucus is profuse and clear. Soon after intercourse has taken place a gynecologist examines a small sample of the cervical mucus, under the microscope and checks to see if the male sperm are performing as they are meant to be.

If the result is abnormal the male sperm test will need to be done again. Should the problem remain then more testing will need to be done to see if the problem is with the male or the female.

Bovine Cervical Mucus Penetration Test

This male sperm test involves testing the sperm to penetrate and swim through cow mucus. Cow mucus is used because of the similarity with its human equivalent and its ready availability and in tests has been shown to get results almost identical to a human cervical mucus penetration teat. The progress of sperm is observed to see if it has the ability to progress as far as is required. This test would be carried out before participation in an ivf program.

There is also the sperm viability or sperm survival test which involves washing the sperm using the same method that is used for IVF. The sperm are kept in a culture under strictly controlled conditions and if they are still swimming after 24 hours they are considered to be sperm that are capable of impregnating a woman.

Something Much Simpler.

Here is the result of recent research that has been published today July 31.07.

A research team from the University of Portsmouth set out to study the effect of lycopene - the carotenoid that gives tomatoes their red colouring - on sperm.

Six healthy men were asked to consume a 400g tin of Heinz cream of tomato soup every day for two weeks, the Daily Mail reported.

Sperm samples were taken from the men over the duration of the study and it was found that the levels of lycopene in their semen rose between seven and 12 per cent when they consumed their daily dose of soup.

Writing in the British Journal of Urology, the researchers said the increase was "significant".

Although the link between lycopene levels and fertility is not yet fully understood, it is known that infertile men who need to have a male sperm test have much lower levels of the carotenoid. Read the whole article

So if you have a low sperm count and you want to be in a position where you can increase sperm count you will need to do a male fertility test, whether it is a home sperm test or a test that is carried out in a laboratory. Once the male sperm test is completed you will know whether you need male infertility treatment or whether your partner should be looking at a female infertility test.

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