Before you read the numbers
The analysis changes from day to day. Fever, illness, a tiring week, or an abstinence period that is too short or too long — all change the result. Fertility is never judged on one analysis; it is repeated after two to three weeks before any decision.
The four numbers that matter
- Volume: 1.5 ml or more. Less may suggest an obstruction or an ejaculation problem.
- Concentration (count): 15 million/ml or more. Zero has its own name — azoospermia — and its own solutions.
- Motility: 40% or more moving, 32% or more progressive.
- Morphology: 4% or more normal forms. A small number that looks alarming but is normal.
What a poor result means
In most cases: a cause worth looking for — varicocele, hormones, infection, obstruction, or habits (heat, smoking, certain medications). A minority have no clear cause. A poor result is not a verdict; it is the starting point for a clinical and hormonal check.
A zero count
Azoospermia does not mean there is no sperm in the testicle. In a large share of cases sperm exists inside the testicle and can be retrieved microsurgically for ICSI. This is precisely what distinguishes an andrology consultant trained in microsurgery.
What to do now
Repeat the analysis at a reliable lab after 2–7 days of abstinence, keep both reports, and show them to an andrology consultant — not a GP. Bring your partner if you can; in the end the decision belongs to two people.
Common questions
Does varicocele repair improve the analysis?
In most patients, after three to six months — not in all.
Do I need ICSI straight away?
Not always. Sometimes treating the male cause makes natural pregnancy possible or improves the ICSI result. The decision comes after examination, with both partners.
