The core male fertility test: a sample produced after 2 to 5 days of abstinence, measured in a lab for volume, concentration and count, motility, and shape, per MedlinePlus.
Prep matters: too-short abstinence lowers the count, too long hurts motility, and collect the whole sample. One result is never the verdict - counts swing, so an abnormal test earns a repeat in a few weeks. Low numbers often have addressable causes - heat, smoking, medications, varicocele, hormones - with next steps from repeat testing to hormone panels to urology.
What to do
Common questions
What is a semen analysis?
A semen analysis is the core male fertility test: you produce a sample by masturbation - usually into a sterile cup at a lab or clinic, sometimes at home with rapid delivery - and the lab measures it within hours. Per MedlinePlus, the prep matters: typically 2 to 5 days of abstinence beforehand (too short lowers the count, too long hurts movement), no alcohol binges in the days before, and the whole sample collected. What the lab reads: volume; concentration (sperm per milliliter) and total count; motility - what share are swimming and how well, the parameter that most often separates fertile from not; morphology - the share with normal shape; and pH and white cells as infection clues. One result is never the verdict: counts swing naturally, so an abnormal result earns a repeat test a few weeks later before any conclusion. If numbers come back low: many causes are addressable - heat exposure, smoking, some medications, varicocele, hormones - and the next steps run from repeat testing to hormone panels to a urology referral. Pymander, a free AI doctor available 24/7 by text, can help you prep and read the report.