title: Limitations of semen analysis as a test of male fertility and anticipated needs from newer tests.
abstract: Semen analysis is the first step to identify male factor infertility. Standardized methods of semen analysis are available allowing accurate assessment of sperm quality and comparison among laboratories. Population-based reference ranges are available for standard semen and sperm parameters. Sperm numbers and morphology are associated with time to natural pregnancy, whereas sperm motility may be less predictive. Routine semen analysis does not measure the fertilizing potential of spermatozoa and the complex changes that occur in the female reproductive tract before fertilization. Whether assisted reproduction technology (ART) is required depends not only on male factors but female fecundity. Newer tests should predict the success of fertilization in vitro and the outcome of the progeny.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, Torrance, California; UCLA-Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, Torrance, California. Electronic address: wang@labiomed.org.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, Torrance, California.
authors.forename: Ronald S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Swerdloff
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D012016:Reference Values; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D012661:Semen; D055101:Semen Analysis; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology
keywords: Sperm concentration; female fecundity; reference ranges; sperm morphology; sperm motility