Semen Analysis

What Semen Analysis Measures

A semen analysis describes three separate properties of a sample, not a single score. Count (also reported as concentration) is the number of sperm present, assessed after the sample is diluted so the cells can be counted accurately.^[2] Motility describes how the sperm move, and labs sort what they see into categories: progressive motility (sperm moving mostly in a straight line), non-progressive motility (sperm moving but not advancing), and immotile (not moving).^[2] Morphology describes the shape of individual sperm, assessed from a smear prepared from the sample and scored against a standardized set of criteria.^[2]

How It's Measured

Labs run semen analysis using methods described in the World Health Organization's laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen, now in its sixth edition, published in 2021.^[1] The manual sets out standardized, evidence-based procedures for routine, optional, and research-based testing, so that a lab in one clinic and a lab in another are counting, categorizing, and scoring a sample the same way.^[1] That standardization is what makes a result from one lab comparable to a result from another.

Why People Track It

Semen analysis is a routine part of a fertility workup when a couple is having trouble conceiving. A male factor is solely responsible for roughly 20% of infertility cases and is a contributing factor in another 30% to 40%, so it's a standard early step alongside evaluating the menstrual cycle and fertile window.^[3] It also comes up in IUI and IVF planning, where a semen sample is prepared and assessed as part of the cycle.

For more on the fertile window semen analysis is often assessed alongside, see Fertile Window.

How Go Go Gaia Tracks Semen Analysis

Semen analysis results come from a clinic or lab, not from the app itself. Go Go Gaia lets you log the count, motility, and morphology values your clinic reports with a single tap, and charts them on your fertility timeline next to your cycle data and other lab values, so a fertility workup stays in one place instead of scattered across portal messages and paper printouts.

What the Research Shows

The WHO manual exists because labs weren't all measuring semen the same way. Its sixth edition provides "updated, standardized, evidence-based procedures and recommendations for laboratory managers, scientists and technicians," with the aim of making results comparable across clinical and research settings worldwide.^[1]

Semen analysis has a specific scope. Research on sperm DNA fragmentation testing notes that "assessment of sperm concentration, motility and morphology may not fully reflect impaired sperm DNA integrity," which is a separate property tied to fertilization and embryo development.^[4] Count, motility, and morphology describe what a sperm looks like and how it moves. They don't describe the condition of the DNA packaged inside it, which is why DNA fragmentation is assessed as its own test rather than folded into a standard semen analysis. See Sperm DNA Fragmentation (DFI) for what that separate test measures.

Related Terms

Frequently Asked Questions

Educational information based on published sources. Not medical advice. For personal concerns, please consult your doctor.

What three things does a semen analysis measure?

A standard semen analysis describes sperm count (also called concentration), motility (the percentage of sperm moving and how they move, categorized as progressive, non-progressive, or immotile), and morphology (the shape of individual sperm, assessed from a prepared smear).

Does semen analysis test sperm DNA quality?

No. A standard semen analysis assesses count, motility, and morphology, but research notes that these measures may not fully reflect sperm DNA integrity. DNA fragmentation is assessed separately, with a dedicated test called sperm DNA fragmentation testing (DFI).

Who sets the standard method for semen analysis?

The World Health Organization publishes a laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen, now in its sixth edition (2021), which standardizes the procedures labs use so that results from different labs can be compared.