Fertility test for men

Introduction

In one out of three couples who do not become pregnant within a year, the cause lies in the fertility of the male. Normally the sperm quality is not good enough. If sperm fertility is lower than normal, this can be determined by Self Care’s male fertility test. On this page we discuss with the help of the self-test the different backgrounds of the poor sperm quality and its detectability.

Sperm

In the case of human ejaculation, sperm contains 1 to 3% of sperm cells. Normally, during ejaculation, an average of 100 to 200 million sperm cells are released. The rest is fluid, mostly from the prostate. Man’s fertility is determined by the amount of sperm, the shape and the activity of the sperm. Together, this is often understood by the term quality of sperm. In addition to the quality of the sperm, the continued functioning of the genitals also plays an important role in fertility.

Fertilisation

After ejaculation, the sperm cells are released and then cover a range of 12 to 17 cm. They then swim from the cervix into the free abdominal cavity. First, the sperm cells come into contact with the acidity of the vagina. On the other hand, they are very resistant and take refuge in the mucus that produces the cervix. The mucus facilitates the transport of sperm, which is very “sperm friendly” on the most fertile days of the month because it changes in composition under the influence of hormones. Good sperm cells can still move in this favorable environment for 3 to 4 days.

After the mucus the sperm migrates to the uterus and through the fallopian tubes to the ovaries, where ovarian follicles are released in the ovum (ovulation). When a sperm cell surrounds the egg, a fusion of membranes is created that releases enzymes needed to penetrate the outer wall of the egg. By merging the male sperm cell and the female egg cell, the zygote develops and the preembryo develops: the beginning of a new human life. The sperm cell must therefore be of good quality to travel this way.

Bad quality of sperm

The reduced fertility of the man can have many causes. Often, the quality (motility and shape) or quantity of the sperm cells is not optimal, so the ovum is not reached. Bad sperm is usually due to a sperm production disorder, spermiogenesis. Possible causes of poor sperm quality / quantity can be:

• An earlier inflammation in the testicles (eg if the man had mumps after puberty)
• An operation at a young age
• If the man was irradiated for oncological diseases or had chemotherapy.
• There may be antibodies that cause the sperm to lose its ability to move
• Hereditary factors play a role in fertility reduction.
• Excessive alcohol consumption (more than two glasses a day) leads to a significantly reduced sperm quality
• Smoking and drugs also seem to have a negative impact on sperm quality.
• A too high a temperature in the testicles is also the cause of a poorer sperm quality. The temperature in the testicles should be 35 degrees, lower than the body temperature (37 degrees). Too high a temperature arises, for example, by wearing tight (under) trousers, by taking a hot bath or going to the sauna often, by a varicocele (varicose veins in the scrotum) and by a sedentary activity (eg truck driver). Whether a low temperature actually improves the quality is not well researched yet.
• Increased ejaculation (several times a day) can reduce the number of sperm cells per ejaculation. Infrequent ejaculations can also have a negative impact on quality. An optimal amount of sperm is obtained by ejaculating every three to five days.
• Working with chemical or radioactive substances, pesticides, lead, ionising radiation (eg X-rays), the use of medication can affect the quality of sperm. This is still being researched.
• Risk groups are in any case painters and kindergarten staff.
• Stress can be a cause of temporarily diminished sperm production.
• Too little vitamin C in the diet can also lead to a reduced quality.
• After all, poor sperm quality can be the result of, for example, fever or a viral infection within the last 75 days.
• There are no vas deferens or they are blocked. This causes complete infertility.

Self-test male fertility

Men who want to determine their own concentration of motile spermatozoa can perform the male fertility test. The ability of this test to distinguish between mobile and inactive spermatozoa is a unique feature of this kit. The test therefore determines not only the number of sperm cells, but also their mobility, since the sperm cells in the test are exposed to a similar situation as on the way to the egg. The same sperm test is used worldwide in many fertility clinics.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has established a standard whereby one man is said to be less fertile if there are less than 20 million sperm per ml of ejaculate. “Normal” is an ejaculate with 20 to 50 million sperm per ml. If there are less than 10 million sperm per ml, there is a low sperm count. The self-test confirms that the spermatozoa concentration in the sample is below 20 million / ml spermatozoa (negative result) or higher than 20 million / ml spermatozoa (positive result).

The kit consists of 2 tests so you can test twice at a different time. Sperm production is not always the same. If the result is 2X positive and you have less than 20 million sperm per ml, we recommend that you see a doctor. For more information you can contact us at any time.