Four common misconceptions about routine semen examination

  1.Semen analysis can be done at any time in the hospital We know that sperm is generated by the “factory” – testes, and then transferred to the “gas station” with sperm maturation function – epididymis for “refueling “This process takes about (72-76 days), about 3 months. Mature sperm are stored in the epididymis before they are expelled. Sperm also have an aging process. To ensure the accuracy of semen analysis, abstinence for 2~7 days is generally required before semen routine examination, i.e. 2~7 days without spermatozoa discharge, the shortest being no less than 2 days (48 hours) and the longest being no more than 7 days, with 3~5 days being the best. If (abstinence) does not discharge sperm for too long, the sperm will age and die, and there will be more old and dead sperm in the discharged semen; if the time is too short, the sperm count may be more affected. Therefore, such a result would not have much reference significance. In addition, you should not have excessive sexual intercourse or excessive masturbation 2~7 days before you do not ejaculate. Otherwise, the test results will be inaccurate. There were several cases of weak spermatozoa in the clinic. The sperm concentration and the total number of sperm in each discharge were normal during the treatment period, and the sperm vitality was gradually improved. But suddenly there would be a time when the semen was rechecked after 4-5 days of abstinence and the sperm concentration was only 2 or 3 million, which was violently abnormal again, the patient was very disappointed and of course we were surprised. After detailed questioning, we learned that during the 1~2 weeks before the 5 days of the examination, these patients had a very frequent sexual life, and some of them had conjugal life almost every day. Subsequently, the patients were allowed to retest after 1 month, and the sperm concentration was normal.  2, as long as you take out some semen you can check Be sure to ensure the integrity of the collected semen specimen, because in ejaculation, the number of sperm contained in the semen ejected from the front section and the semen ejected from the back section is very different, the vast majority of sperm are concentrated in the semen ejected from the front section, the collection of ejaculate specimens must be complete, especially the semen from the front section can not be lost, otherwise the collected semen specimen can not be sent for examination, in addition, to In addition, to ensure that the collection of semen specimens is fully complete, it is still necessary to collect semen specimens to achieve full sexual excitement as much as possible.  3, the semen test results are normal, it proves that you do not have a problem We often encounter some patients in the clinic get the semen analysis report, look at the indicators are in the normal range, they think that their fertility is not a problem, the reason for not pregnant on the wife’s side, they are not responsible. In fact, this is not true. The semen analysis is only the most basic test to determine male fertility, and is a preliminary evaluation of semen, sperm quality and male fertility. Depending on the patient’s condition, some still need to do further tests such as sperm function test, sperm DNA integrity test, sperm immunology test and sperm penetration test of cervical mucus to fully understand male fertility.  4.If there is a problem with one semen test, you think you have fertility problems The quality of semen can be affected by many factors, such as whether the semen specimen is retained in a standardized manner, the duration of abstinence, the ambient temperature, whether the recent physical condition is optimal, and whether you are taking drugs that affect sperm quality before the test. Therefore, if there is a problem with a semen test result, it does not necessarily mean that there is a problem with male fertility. The best way is to re-check the semen routine analysis after a period of time when you are in the best physical and mental condition, and in strict accordance with the relevant specifications for semen specimen collection.