Pregnancy planning is an important moment in the life of every couple. Naturally, during this period it is necessary to undergo some examinations, consult a doctor and pass certain tests. Quite often, men are advised to take a sperm test. Of course, the representatives of the stronger sex are interested in additional questions. What does a spermogram show? How to properly prepare for the test? What deviations are possible and what to do in such cases? The answers to these questions will be of interest to many readers.
Indications for testing
Before considering what a spermogram shows, it is worth learning about the main indications for such testing.
- Research is prescribed during pregnancy planning.
- If, for one reason or another, within 1-2 years of active sexual life without protection, the couple fails to have a child, both partners are prescribed tests.
- Indication for spermogram ismale infertility caused by hormonal disorders, infectious diseases, genital trauma, varicocele and some other pathologies.
- Research is sometimes carried out during a preventive examination, as well as to monitor the course and effectiveness of the treatment of a particular disease.
- Men need to be tested in preparation for in vitro fertilization of eggs
How to prepare for the study?
In order for the analysis of the ejaculate to give really accurate results, you need to prepare for the procedure. For example, 3-7 days before the procedure, you need to stop sexual intercourse. At least 3 weeks before the test, you need to stop taking medicines and dietary supplements (if stopping therapy is not possible, you must inform the doctor about all the drugs taken).
In no case should you go to the sauna or bath, take a hot bath on the eve of the test. It is also worth giving up smoking, drinking alcohol or drugs, sharply limiting physical activity. Naturally, after passing the samples, the patient can return to their usual way of life.
How is testing done?
Semen samples are obtained naturally during masturbation. Ideally, the sampling should be carried out directly in the clinic. The ejaculate is collected in a special sterile cup, which should be sent to the laboratory as soon as possible. Sometimes men can carry out the procedure at home. In some cases, semen can be taken from a condom. Butit is worth remembering that the biomaterial must be delivered to the laboratory as soon as possible (within a few hours), otherwise the test results will not be reliable.
What does the spermogram show? Physical properties of sperm
There are many criteria by which ejaculate samples are judged. To begin with, the laboratory assistant carefully studies and records physical properties:
- The amount of sperm. The normal volume of ejaculate is 2-5 ml (a decrease in this figure sometimes indicates inflammatory processes).
- What color should sperm be? White, with a very faint gray or yellow tint (discoloration may indicate purulent inflammation, prostate lesions).
- Hydrogen index (pH) of sperm is normally 7.2 (this is a neutral environment). A decrease, the formation of an acidic environment may indicate an inflammatory process in the testicles.
- Viscosity and liquefaction of semen is another important indicator. If the semen remains liquid for one hour after ejaculation, this is considered normal (only in a moist, liquid environment is sperm free to move).
Microscopic examination of semen
Next, you need to evaluate other important parameters of the ejaculate, which is only possible with the help of optical devices:
- First of all, you need to determine the number of sperm in the ejaculate. Normally, 1 ml of sperm should contain at least 20 million germ cells. If this indicatorbelow, this may well cause infertility (although this does not mean that a man is not at all capable of fertilization).
- One of the most important criteria is sperm motility, because in order to fertilize an egg, they must be able to move.
- Sometimes during the examination, the doctor detects leukocytes in the semen. Normally, 1 ml of ejaculate should contain no more than 1 million white blood cells. An increase in their number indicates the presence of an inflammatory process.
- The amount of mucus in the semen is also estimated (excessive volume of mucous masses impairs sperm motility and often indicates problems with the prostate gland).
- Normally, erythrocytes are absent in human semen. Their presence may indicate a mass of pathologies, including the presence of a tumor.
Extended spermogram and its features
In some cases, extensive research is carried out to obtain the maximum amount of information. In addition to the above criteria, in the laboratory it is also studied:
- Sperm morphology (under a microscope, a specialist determines whether the shape and structure of sperm are normal; the number of abnormal germ cells should not exceed 50%).
- Sperm viability is another important criterion. It is believed that for fertilization, the sperm must remain mobile in its natural environment for at least a day.
- The presence of so-called anti-sperm antibodies in the samples. These are specific protein molecules, whichor for other reasons, they begin to be produced by the male immune system. Antibodies attack the membrane of spermatozoa, destroy germ cells and lead to the development of infertility.
When should you not take a semen sample?
In order for the analysis of the ejaculate to be as informative as possible, you must follow the above preparation rules. In addition, there are situations in which this study is not carried out:
- after taking medication, after antibiotic therapy;
- after drinking alcohol;
- at elevated body temperature;
- for acute infectious diseases, including colds;
- after prostate massage;
- during an exacerbation of chronic diseases.
Possible violations
Now you know what the spermogram shows. But during laboratory tests, some deviations may also be found:
- oligospermia - a condition characterized by a decrease in the number of spermatozoa;
- azoospermia - no sperm in the ejaculate;
- asthenozoospermia - there are enough live spermatozoa in the samples, but their mobility is sharply limited;
- tetradospermia - in the ejaculate there is a large amount of sperm with an irregular structure;
- neurospermia - dead sperm were found in the samples during research.
It is worth understanding that only a doctor can interpret the results of a spermogram. Be that as it may, inIn most cases, infertility can be corrected with the right course of treatment.
