On Friday, Mike went in for his two tests: the semen analysis and bloodwork (STD testing). The STD testing is standard, just as mine was, and when they called us today they (unsurprisingly) let us know that his results were normal. They also gave us the analysis results. There are three main components that matter with semen when trying to conceive:
Count: This is, quite obviously, the amount of sperm you produce per mL of semen. 15 million and higher is considered the “normal” or desired range. Mike came in at 10.76, which is slightly below that. However, many men have terribly low counts (1-5), and it is something that can be easily increased with medicine.
Motility: This is the ability of sperm to move or swim efficiently through the female’s reproductive system (in order to fertilize an egg). Doctors like to see 40% motility and higher when trying to conceive—Mike’s was 48%!
Morphology: This is the size and shape of your sperm. The results/percentage are the amount of “normal” sperm that can be viewed from a sample under a microscope. Normal sperm have an oval head and long tail, while abnormal sperm have head or tail defects (like a large/misshapen head or a double tail). These defects could potentially affect the ability of the sperm to reach and penetrate an egg. Most people might be surprised to discover that typically only about 8%-10% of sperm in a sample is normal! 5% and higher is the desired margin for morphology. Mike’s was 1%, which again wasn’t quite perfect but wasn’t bad! Many men have 0% morphology. And keep in mind that this is a percent of millions of sperm.
Based on the results, Dr. Hobeika wants Mike to start on an over-the-counter vitamin called CoQ10 and then come back in three weeks for another analysis. This vitamin has been reported to increase the count and morphology in men. He also would like Mike to cut back his caffeine intake—which is bad news for my coffee-loving, energy-drink-addict of a husband.
Overall, the results were good. Everything is manageable and there were no major issues. I’ll give another update at the end of this month when he has his second analysis!
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