Normal semen is one of the most basic conditions for fertility. To ensure the accuracy of semen analysis, attention must be paid to the correctness of semen collection. The subject should avoid sexual intercourse for 3 to 5 days before the examination. Use masturbation to collect all the semen ejaculated in one time in a dry glass or plastic bottle and submit it for examination within 1 hour. Semen collected after cessation of sexual intercourse will increase the number of inactive sperm and cannot represent the true condition of the semen.
The standard of normal semen needs to be considered from the following two aspects:
(1)Appearance:Generally off-white, may turn light yellow if abstinence lasts longer. The semen that has just been discharged is in the form of jelly and will liquefy within 5 to 25 minutes. Poorly liquefied semen will affect the movement of sperm and hinder conception. The amount of semen ejaculated at one time is 1.5 to 6 ml. Too little semen affects sperm activity and neutralization of the acidic vaginal environment. Too much semen often reduces sperm density. The pH value of semen is alkaline, generally between 7.2 and 8.4. If it is too acidic, it will affect sperm activity and metabolism.
(2) Microscopic examination: Sperm concentration is an important indicator. Normally it should be above 20×106/ml. However, simple sperm concentration measurement cannot reflect male fertility, and attention must be paid to sperm activity rate and mobility. The sperm motility rate should be greater than 50%; on this basis, sperm moving straight forward and quickly should account for the majority. The number of abnormal sperm should not exceed 40%. Otherwise it will affect fertility. This is often caused by disorders of testicular spermatogenesis, or may be the result of a stress response in the seminiferous epithelium due to varicocele. The number of white blood cells in the semen should not exceed 10 per high-power field, and there should be no red blood cells. Otherwise, it may indicate prostatitis and seminal vesiculitis.
(3) Seminal plasma biochemical analysis: Under normal circumstances, semen analysis only performs the above two aspects. The test can estimate male fertility. Some cases may require further biochemical analysis. Many biochemical substances contained in seminal plasma are related to the survival and activity of sperm.closely related to movement. Commonly used parameters include fructose, zinc, prostaglandins, amino acids and various enzymes. For some semen with poor sperm motility, these indicators can be tested to further find the cause of infertility.
This article is provided by Baidu Reading and is excerpted from \”The Clear \”Conception\” Plan\” Author: Sun Jianqiu and Xie Yingbiao