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Semen Analysis Report Showed Count: 32.4 (million). What Does This Indicate? Urologist Indicated Varicocele. Suggest

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Posted on Tue, 9 Jul 2013
Question: My husband just received a semen analysis and his results are listed below:
Count: 32.4 (million)
Abnormal: 83
Normal: 17
Forward Progessive movement: 46
Sluggish movement: 18
No movement/slow movement: 36
PH: 8.6
It appears they used the Kruger strict method to determine the morphology. That being said, what prompted the semen analysis is we've been TTC our second child for about 10 months and our PCP sent my husband to a urologist who indicated he had a varicocele. My questions are based on this SA, is his count okay? Also, the PH seems a little bit on the high side but I've read conflicting information for this and the lab had a requirement of >7. Lastly, I've read mixed things about trying to get pregnant that say you should have intercourse every day during your fertile window and others that say every other day. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks!
doctor
Answered by Dr. Aarti Abraham (44 minutes later)
Hello XXXXXXX
thanks for your query.
Although varicoceles appear in approximately 20% of the general male population, they are much more common in the subfertile population (40%). In fact, scrotal varicoceles are the most common cause of poor sperm production and decreased semen quality. Varicoceles are easy to identify and to surgically correct.
Varicocele can affect spermatogenesis leading to decrease in motility, vitality and number of normal forms of spermatozoons.
Total sperm count, or total sperm number, is the total number of spermatozoa in the entire ejaculate. By WHO, lower reference limit (2.5th percentile) is 39 million per ejaculate. So your husband has a slightly less than normal sperm count.
The motility is average, but the abnormal forms are definitely high.
Regarding the pH, a raised pH can indicate an infection, but some labs do have a cut off of upto 7 as normal, so if there are no WBC s in the semen sample, do not worry.
Also, as your husband has a lot of abnormal forms in his semen analysis, it is better to have intercourse daily during the fertile period to avoid abnormal forms from accumulating.
With this report, it is better to treat the varicocele and then attempt a pregnancy.
All the best.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Aarti Abraham

OBGYN

Practicing since :1998

Answered : 6004 Questions

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Semen Analysis Report Showed Count: 32.4 (million). What Does This Indicate? Urologist Indicated Varicocele. Suggest

Hello XXXXXXX
thanks for your query.
Although varicoceles appear in approximately 20% of the general male population, they are much more common in the subfertile population (40%). In fact, scrotal varicoceles are the most common cause of poor sperm production and decreased semen quality. Varicoceles are easy to identify and to surgically correct.
Varicocele can affect spermatogenesis leading to decrease in motility, vitality and number of normal forms of spermatozoons.
Total sperm count, or total sperm number, is the total number of spermatozoa in the entire ejaculate. By WHO, lower reference limit (2.5th percentile) is 39 million per ejaculate. So your husband has a slightly less than normal sperm count.
The motility is average, but the abnormal forms are definitely high.
Regarding the pH, a raised pH can indicate an infection, but some labs do have a cut off of upto 7 as normal, so if there are no WBC s in the semen sample, do not worry.
Also, as your husband has a lot of abnormal forms in his semen analysis, it is better to have intercourse daily during the fertile period to avoid abnormal forms from accumulating.
With this report, it is better to treat the varicocele and then attempt a pregnancy.
All the best.