Lab tests
Semen analysis report explainer
A semen analysis lists a dozen measurements, several of which sound alike: concentration and total count, total and progressive motility, normal forms and vitality. Add your report below to see each one defined and set beside the reference limit your laboratory printed.
Explain your semen analysis report
- 1. Add itDrop a PDF, take a photo or paste the text.
- 2. Check itPersonal details are removed on your device. You approve what is sent.
- 3. Read itSummary, table of results, terms and questions to ask.
The explainer opens on its own page with no adverts and no outside scripts. Your file is read on your device and is never uploaded.
What you get
- Each measurement on its own row with the units and reference limit from your report.
- Concentration (per mL) and total number (in the whole sample) told apart.
- Motility categories and abbreviations such as PR, NP and IM written out.
- Questions to ask your doctor or fertility clinic.
Lines you will usually see on a semen analysis
- VolumeThe amount of the whole sample, in mL
- Sperm concentrationThe number of sperm in each mL, usually given in millions
- Total sperm numberThe concentration multiplied by the volume
- MotilityThe percentage of sperm that are moving, often split into progressive (PR), non-progressive (NP) and immotile (IM)
- Morphology or normal formsThe percentage of sperm with a standard shape under the microscope
- VitalityThe percentage of sperm that are alive
- Abstinence, liquefaction, pH and round cellsDetails of the sample and of how it was collected and handled
What this tool cannot tell you
Semen results vary from one sample to the next in the same person, and they are affected by the days of abstinence, how complete the collection was and how soon the sample reached the laboratory. The printed reference limits describe a comparison group and are not a pass mark for fertility. MedicDecode explains each measurement and shows what your report marks as below its limit. It does not say whether you can or cannot conceive, give a diagnosis or suggest treatment; your doctor or fertility clinic reads the report with the rest of your history.
Common questions
What is the difference between sperm concentration and total sperm count?
Concentration is how many sperm are in each mL of the sample. Total count is that figure multiplied by the volume, giving the number in the whole sample. Reports print both, each with its own reference limit.
What do PR, NP and IM stand for?
They are motility categories: progressively motile (moving forward), non-progressively motile (moving without getting anywhere) and immotile (not moving). Some laboratories use older letter grades, a to d, for the same idea. The explanation uses whichever your report prints.
Why does the report record days of abstinence and the time of collection?
Both affect the measurements, so laboratories note them to show the conditions the sample was produced and tested under. Many reports also state whether the whole sample was collected. Your clinic takes these details into account when it reads the figures.
Words you may see on this report
Tap a word for its plain-English meaning, an example line and what it does not mean.
- ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase)
ALT is an enzyme found mainly in the liver; when liver cells are irritated or damaged, more ALT leaks into the blood.
- AST (Aspartate Aminotransferase)
AST is an enzyme found in the liver, muscles, heart and other tissues; raised levels can signal stress or damage in one of these.
- Bilirubin
Bilirubin is a yellow substance made when old red blood cells break down; the liver processes it so it can leave the body.
- Creatinine
Creatinine is a waste product from normal muscle activity that the kidneys filter out, so its blood level helps show how well the kidneys work.
- CRP (C-Reactive Protein)
CRP is a protein made by the liver that rises quickly when there is inflammation or infection in the body.
- Culture and Sensitivity
A culture and sensitivity test grows germs from a sample to identify them, then checks which antibiotics can stop them.
- eGFR (Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate)
eGFR is an estimate of how well your kidneys filter waste from your blood, calculated from a creatinine blood test plus details like age.
- Electrolytes
Electrolytes are minerals in the blood, such as sodium, potassium and chloride, that carry an electric charge and help the body work.
- ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate)
ESR measures how fast red blood cells sink in a tube of blood over an hour; a faster rate can be a general sign of inflammation.
- Fasting Sample
A fasting sample is blood taken after you have had nothing to eat or drink except water for a set number of hours.
- Ferritin
Ferritin is a protein that stores iron; its blood level gives a good idea of how much iron the body has in reserve.
- HbA1c
HbA1c shows your average blood sugar over roughly the past two to three months by measuring how much sugar is attached to red blood cells.