General information, not an individual diagnosis. Ask a healthcare professional if you are unsure about your situation.
A prescribed semen analysis examines semen during a fertility assessment. The laboratory looks at sperm count and shape, among other features. Ask the prescriber which question this test is intended to answer.
The sample is collected at the laboratory by masturbation. Beforehand, ask the laboratory for its exact instructions, including the period without ejaculation and how to collect the sample. Ameli mentions three to five days without intercourse for this test.
Before collection, tell the laboratory and doctor about any fever and all medicines. Ameli says these situations can prevent the test from being performed: ask what to do without stopping any treatment yourself.
An abnormal result may require a repeat semen analysis to check whether the finding persists. Ask the prescriber whether repeating it is useful and when to arrange it in your circumstances.
Depending on the assessment, the doctor may suggest a semen culture to look for infection or a migration and survival test to assess mobility. These analyses answer different questions from the semen analysis.
Ask how to obtain the report, then have the doctor explain its values. The results belong to the overall assessment: one isolated number is not enough to decide the next step yourself.
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