Male Infertility Testing

Male infertility accounts for approximately one-third of all cases of infertility and is related in some way to about half of all infertility cases. After one year of unsuccessful attempts at pregnancy, it is important for both people to seek treatment. This can be distressing for most men and it is good for men to know that the male infertility testing is relatively simple and routine.

The first and most common test for the male is the semen analysis. For this test, the sperm is collected into a sterile specimen jar and sent to an on-sight lab. The technician will look at the semen under a microscope to check the sperm for shape, appearance, and ability to swim quickly and efficiently. At this time, the technician will also count the number of sperm in order to assess the effectiveness at which the male body makes sperm. For the sperm count, the technician will check to see if the concentration of sperm is above or below 20 million sperm cells per milliliter of ejaculation fluid.

The second test that is usually done is a urine analysis. The urine is checked for infection because any kind of infection in that area can kill sperm or greatly affect their ability to fertilize an egg. The urine is also checked for sperm. If there is, sperm in the urine this can signify retrograde ejaculation, which is also a common cause of male infertility.

At this point if the semen analysis and urine analysis tests are both normal, the testing typically turns to the female and further male testing is not necessary. However, if the female turns out to have no fertility issues and the doctor feels it is necessary to go back to testing the male there are a few other tests that can be done.

1. Sperm agglutination is a laboratory test that checks to see if the sperm are clumping together. Clumping of the sperm inhibits their ability to swim through the female cervical mucus.

2. Sperm penetration assay is a rarely used test that uses hamster eggs to determine the sperms ability to penetrate an egg.

3. Hemizona assay is a test that uses a non-usable female egg to determine the sperm capabilities of penetrating the outer layer of the egg.

4. Acrosome reaction is another laboratory test that determines whether or not the sperm head is capable of going through the chemical changes necessary to penetrate the female egg.

5. Hypo-osmotic swelling is a laboratory test that determines the ability of the sperm tail in penetrating the female egg. In a solution of a special sugar and salt, a healthy sperm tail will swell while a dead or non-healthy sperm tail will not respond.

6. Testicular biopsy is a test that determines how well the sperm are being produced by removing a small piece of tissue from the tubules in the testes.

7. Vasography is a type of x-ray exam that will show whether there is blockage or leakage of sperm within the vas deferens.

8. Ultrasonography is a type of ultrasound that examines the entire male reproductive system to identify blockages or other types of damage that could be a cause of infertility.

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