When investigating male infertility, a semen analysis will be one of the first steps (after a physical examination and a chat about your medical history). Your sperm count and the quality of your sperm are the main factors that predict your fertility, so a semen analysis is critical if you and your partner are unable to conceive.
Getting your semen tested involves producing a sample and yes, in a medical setting that can feel like a bit of an awkward task. So naturally, many men wonder if they can do a semen analysis at home instead of at a pathology or fertility clinic. Here’s what you need to know about whether you can do a male fertility test at home.
Firstly, what is a semen analysis?
A semen analysis examines freshly ejaculated semen under a microscope to determine:
Male infertility can be caused by a problem with sperm production or the movement of sperm through the male reproductive system. These problems include:
Can you give a sample at home and take it to a clinic?
Sometimes. For the most accurate semen analysis results there should be the right amount of time between collection and analysis. Sperm begins to die as soon as they’re ejaculated so to have enough alive to assess, the sample needs to be tested quickly. Sperm cells also need to remain at body temperature to be viable for testing. That’s why many fertility clinics prefer you produce a semen sample on-site in their private collection rooms. Not only does this save time, it also removes any uncertainty around how the sample was transported or stored. Some clinics will let you produce a sample at home and bring it in but this must be booked ahead and you need to bring in your sample within 30 minutes of producing it.
Once you get a referral from your GP, the fertility or pathology clinic will provide clear instructions around the process.
Some companies offer at-home specimen kits which are then express-mailed to a central lab for what they claim is testing comparable to what you’d get in a clinic. However, this is not in line with the World Health Organization’s manual for semen analysis or Australia’s guidelines for the management of male infertility. They’re also expensive and must be carried out under fairly tight constraints, and even their specially designed vessels can only keep the sample viable for up to 72 hours. So, you wouldn’t want it to get lost in the post.
Do home semen analysis kits work?
At-home semen tests can be a convenient, quick and private first step if you’re evaluating your fertility but further testing should always be done if you’re struggling to conceive.
There are currently six at-home semen tests approved by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration, all of which involve testing semen in slightly different ways. Some just measure whether the semen includes any sperm at all, while others use either your smartphone’s camera, a piece of software like an app or a separate included device to measure the count and quality of your sperm.
However, at-home tests do not replace professional fertility testing. Often they don’t measure all the factors that are measured by professional. Plus interpreting the results of an at-home test is down to the user, who’s likely not a fertility expert.
Semen analysis is also only one part of testing male fertility.
When to see a doctor or fertility specialist
If you’re worried about your fertility, you and your partner should see a doctor at the same time (whether that’s the same doctor or different ones). They can refer you to do a semen analysis in a certified laboratory, and complete the other essential components of a fertility assessment.
It’s also important to remember that even if your results are within the normal reference range, it’s not a guarantee that you’re fertile. And you might still be able to conceive naturally if your results fall outside of the normal range. It’s a matter of probabilities, rather than absolutes.
