Normal Sperm Count: An Introduction To Semen Analysis

Hey! Are you here to find whether you’ve a normal sperm count? Or are you simply curious? Whatever may be the case, you've come to the right place! This blog will help you learn how semen analysis works and what a normal sperm count looks like. 

So, are you ready to learn? Let’s start by understanding more about semen analysis.

What Is A Semen Analysis?

It is a test used to determine male reproductive health or male fertility. Semen analysis is an imperative tool especially in case of couples who aren’t able to conceive, potentially due to male infertility issues. 

Moreover, reproductive tests for males, like semen analysis generally consist of several medical assessments, such as detailed information on medical and sexual history, a physical examination, and semen analysis.¹ Furthermore, a semen analysis helps an individual learn about various sperm and semen related factors such as whether they have a normal sperm count, number of healthy sperm, volume of semen, etc. 

Let’s discuss each aspect of the male reproductive tests in detail in the following sections. 

i. Medical & Sexual History

This assessment is generally conducted by a doctor, who asks the patient a bunch of questions -usually pertaining to the patient's medical history. The doctor will then make a note of past injuries, illnesses, and/or medical procedures (such as a vasectomy or cancer treatments) that may have affected the individual’s fertility.² 

The sexual history assessment questions are a way to collect information on the sexual past of a patient. This helps doctors rule out a patient’s possible medical condition (STD, STI, or some other infection) and choose the most suitable treatment path.^2,3 

ii. Physical Examination

A physical examination usually has 3 different assessments, which are as follows:

1. General physical examination: It is the analysis of height, weight, BMI (Body Mass Index), muscle, and fat distribution. Furthermore, patients' waist circumferences are also recorded.⁴

2. Genital examination: In this, every part of the male genitalia (male reproductive system) is checked, and the doctor looks for the following:⁴

• Epididmyus (where the sperm is stored) and vas deferens for presence of cysts, and their overall size.
• Presence of varicocele (dilated veins inside the scrotum)
• Penis (male reproductive/ sex organ) for its overall anatomy, the curvature, etc.
• Testes (male reproductive gland that produces sperm and secretes hormones) for their location, and size.

3. Secondary Sex Characteristics: Traits such as secondary sex characteristics are examined after the general physical health examination.⁴ The doctor may look for gynecomastia (growth of breast glands in males due to hormonal imbalance), body proportions, and the distribution of general hair along with pubic hair growth.⁴ 

iii. Semen Analysis

Let's first define semen before learning about semen analysis. It’s the thick, white fluid that emerges from the penis during ejaculation is called semen.⁵ 

Following are the standard semen analysis guidelines recommended by the WHO-^5,6

• Volume of semen
• Total number of sperm per milliliter
• Shape/structure of sperm
• Movement of sperm

You must be wondering how these factors can determine whether you have a normal sperm count or not. Well, sperm count alone does not contribute to the vitality of sperm. In fact, all these parameters together help doctors determine the overall reproductive health of an individual. 

Let’s check out the normal ranges for each of the above mentioned parameters as stated by WHO-⁶

In addition, if you carefully examine the requirements for a normal sperm count range in the table above, you'll discover that it must be at least 39 million sperm per ejaculate. However, sperm count alone does not guarantee overall healthy semen. Because of this, additional elements like sperm morphology, motility, and semen’s pH all play a deciding role in determining good reproductive health. 

What To Do If You Don’t Have A Normal Sperm Count?

When you get your test results, whether it's a semen analysis or a blood test, you should always consult your  doctor first.  A doctor can help you pinpoint the fundamental cause of a condition that may reflect  through semen analysis results.

If someone receives a low sperm count or semen analysis results, it doesn’t always mean that they are infertile. A doctor can provide suitable solutions as per the specific infertility condition. 

Reasons that can alter the results of a semen analysis or normal sperm count include:⁵

• Smoking 
• Unhealthy lifestyle
• Physical block or problem in testicles like enlarged veins 
• Certain genetic disorders
• Cystic fibrosis
• Diabetes
• Hormone disorders, etc

The treatment of infertility is solely dependent on the cause. If you or your partner are thinking about starting a family, you should consider seeing a fertility specialist to help you with your respective reproductive goals. 

What Else To Know?

As a routine procedure after a vasectomy, many people have semen analysis  performed. The two scenarios listed below outline what to anticipate based on the findings of semen analysis (taken after a vasectomy)-

• If the semen analysis  shows the presence of sperm, the patient might need to have the test repeated until the results reveal that there is no sperm (in ejaculate or semen sample).⁵
• If the sperm analysis doesn’t show the presence of sperm, it means the vasectomy was successful.⁵

It should be noted that sperm can be found in numerous ejaculations (or semen analyses) even after a successful vasectomy procedure.⁵ However, if the presence of sperm in semen analysis persists, you may need to consult the doctor. 

In addition to the aforementioned, one should also be aware of a condition called Oligospermia that is linked to low sperm count. It is a sperm disorder in which, a man has less sperm than typical (< 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen) sperm count.⁷ If the male partner has Oligospermia, the couple may not be able to conceive.⁷

Final Note!

A semen analysis could be quite beneficial for someone who has been trying to start a family but has been unsuccessful. However, if you merely want to know about your sperm health or if you have a normal sperm count, this test only serves as a guide!

Semen analysis is a simple test, for which you may have been asked to visit a clinic or a hospital in the past. But times have changed and how! LifeCell’s SpermScore is an at-home test kit that allows you to track the "A-Z" of your sperm. This test checks for 11 sperm parameters & 14 sperm conditions. All you have to do is order a SpermScore kit, or collect your semen sample, and ship it to us. Taking a semen analysis has never been easier. So get checked today!