Semen Analysis

Semen Analysis - The Men’s Clinic at UCLA

In House Semen Analysis

The Men's Clinic at UCLA Health offers discrete in house, cost-effective semen analysis in Los Angeles with same day results.  The physicians can therefore evaluate a man and his risk factors for fertility and, if the man is able to collect a semen sample that visit, he can have his results and consultation performed at that time and appropriate treatment plans can then be immediately initiated.  Fertility difficulties are a stress on any relationship and the anxiety of having to wait for semen analysis results certainly adds to that stress.  With the ability to offer same day results, The Men’s Clinic at UCLA Health will alleviate some of the anxiety.

What is a semen analysis and how does it help?

Any couple that wants to better evaluate their fertility status or any man or couple that struggle with fertility difficulty will likely need to have the man’s semen analyzed.  The man will provide an ejaculated sample, usually through masturbation, in a private collection room.  The doctors will then take this sample and analyze it with a state-of-the-art computer-integrated microscopic analyzer.  Within minutes, your doctor will have confidential results he or she will discuss with you.

A basic semen analysis covers 4 main categories.

1. Volume. The volume, or amount, of semen ejaculated can help determine if there is a blockage in the reproductive tract causing male fertility trouble.  A normal volume is between 2-5 ml.
2. Concentration. This measures the number of sperm per milliliter of ejaculate.  The low end of normal, currently defined by the World Health Organization, as 15 million/mL.
3. Motility. This measures how many sperm are swimming and how many are not moving.  It is further graded by how fast the sperm swim.  A normal semen analysis has a motility of 50%.
4. Morphology. This simply refers to the shape of the sperm and is usually divided into head defects, body defects and tail defects.  Most semen laboratories suggest greater than 4% normal sperm to be normal.

Advanced Semen Assay

Occasionally, there will be a reason to investigate a man’s semen even further than the basic analysis.  Sometimes your physician will analyze the integrity of the sperm DNA with a study called DNA Fragmentation Index (DNAFI).  This is a test UCLA Health—the Men’s Clinic sends out to a specialized reproductive laboratory.  DNAFI can help determine if a man’s sperm is responsible for recurrent miscarriages or if the couple is having trouble getting pregnant with in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) is another specialized test that can help evaluate if a man’s sperm is under too much oxidative stress and therefore not able to be as fertile.  There are lifestyle modifications and other treatments that your doctor may recommend if you have high DNAFI or ROS.

Scheduling an Appointment

Board-certified urologists staff The Men’s Clinic at UCLA and you can be assured you are getting an experienced physician performing your evaluation and procedure in a relaxed and comfortable environment. For more information and to schedule an appointment for a semen analysis and male fertility test in Los Angeles, please call the UCLA Urology Appointment line at (310) 794-7700.