The semen analysis is a fundamental part of an infertility assessment, and comprises a range of individual tests, including sperm concentration, motility, vitality, and morphology, that reflect different aspects of sperm cell formation and function. There is now an ISO Standard for Basic semen examination (23162:2021), which is reflected in the 6th WHO manual for the examination and processing of human semen (2021).
This presentation will discuss how each aspect of a semen analysis should now be performed, the rationale behind these approaches, and also how the results are used to diagnose infertility and to create fertility treatment plans.
At the end of this session you will be able to:
- Describe the functional basis for the tests in a semen analysis
- Describe the lab requirements for performing an effective semen analysis
- Describe the limitations of a basic semen analysis in predicting fertility
Speaker : Sharon Mortimer, PhD