Changing the face of male fertility testing

My interest in male fertility testing began over 20 years ago in the Liverpool Women’s Hospital. I was finishing my first degree and conducting research into sperm motility. Looking at the different way in which sperm swim and how this affects the chances of pregnancy.

I was surprised to discover that although the percentage of fast swimming sperm did improve the chances of pregnancy, the significance of this was not as great as I had thought. My research found that men with a low percentage of motile sperm were still fertile. This is essentially because the total motile count is more indicative of fertility. Subsequent studies have shown that a minimum count of 4 million motile sperm is needed for men to be fertile. That is, if your sperm count is high enough, the percentage motility will be less relevant and vice versa.

This is why with male fertility testing it is so important that the results are interpreted properly. Many men are told they are infertile when this is not the case. It depends on other factors too, like how long you have been trying to conceive and how old your partner is. It is fundamental that when you get a sperm test done, the results are explained and interpreted by a urologist that is a male fertility expert. This simple measure can save you precious time and money as treatment may be unnecessary.

Read more on our male fertility testing page.