Advanced male fertility testing moves beyond a semen analysis

When most people think of fertility testing for men, a semen analysis is the first test that comes to mind. However, this isn’t the only test that our Austin infertility specialists use to diagnose male infertility. At Texas Fertility Center, we can order several forms of advanced male fertility testing to make the right diagnosis, including antisperm antibody testing and other lab tests.

Antisperm antibody testing can be part of a semen analysis

Sometimes, the immune system views the sperm as invaders and creates antisperm antibodies to destroy them. If enough of these antibodies reach the sperm, it can make it difficult or even impossible to fertilize an egg. The good news is that antisperm antibody testing can easily identify this issue.

This form of advanced male fertility testing can occur as part of a standard semen analysis. While assessing factors such as sperm count, the andrologist in the lab can also look for antisperm antibodies. If these antibodies are present, the lab can add special solutions to the sperm. Doing so can eliminate issues with the antibodies, so that the sperm can be used in fertility treatments.

Vital staining of sperm is another form of advanced male fertility testing

A semen analysis can tell you and your doctor more than just your sperm count and whether antisperm antibodies are present. It can also assess your sperm motility (the percentage of sperm that are alive and moving).

It is normal for some sperm to be non-motile. While some of these sperm may be dead, others are alive but incapable of movement. When there is a very high percentage of non-motile sperm, it is helpful to know if some are living. This information helps our Austin infertility specialists select the best fertility treatment.

If the semen analysis reveals 95% or more non-motile sperm in the sample, an andrologist in the lab will combine part of the sample on a slide with a vital stain. This stain will reveal what percent of the sperm are non-motile but alive. If a small portion of the sperm are alive, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may be used during an IVF cycle to fertilize the eggs.

Hypo-osmotic swelling test is a sperm function test that occurs during IVF

Unlike the first two forms of advanced male fertility testing mentioned, the hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) test happens during IVF. Its goal is to differentiate dead sperm from living, non-motile sperm in patients with very few or no motile sperm.

During this test, the embryologist in the lab uses a combination of culture medium and water to make a special solution. This solution causes the tail of the living sperm to curl. In contrast, the dead sperm will not react. Using this test, the embryologist picks out the living sperm and prepares them for immediate use during the ICSI procedure.

In addition to these types of advanced male fertility testing, our Austin infertility specialists can also order forms of genetic testing, such as sperm DNA fragmentation testing. Contact us if you would like to learn more about these different testing options.