Men planning to have children can now test the quality of their sperm long before doing so to determine if they are capable of siring babies. Or rectify an infertility problem in its early stages of development.

Time taken for results to come out when such an analysis is done range from six hours to three days, depending on the facility where the test is being done.

The only thing a man needs to do is abstain from sex for at least four days, and on the fifth day walk into a laboratory to have his semen analysed.

Laboratory technicians say such a time frame helps them to come up with conclusive data on the quality of the sperm.

At Kenyatta National Hospital, semen analysis costs Sh 500, Aga Khan Hospital Sh 1,440, Nairobi Hospital Sh 1,110, and Sh 1,000 at Dr Joshua Noreh’s In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) centre.

But the few men who have gone for such tests only do so after their doctor’s request for semen analysis to determine if they or their wives or both, are the cause of infertility.

Even men who know of the existence of the service are scared to go through such an analysis. Laboratory technicians interviewed by Horizon said this is the most trying moment for a man when he is required to provide his sperm for assessment. 

“Men always believe they have no problem. And for those who are referred to our laboratories for such an assessment, they sweat profusely before agreeing to give their sperm,” says a laboratory technician in one of the leading hospitals. 

According to James Omondi, a laboratory technician, there cases where some men have run away from such centres on second thoughts, even after agreeing to undertake semen analysis. 

“Majority of the men pester their wives to go for fertility checks, blaming them whenever they cannot conceive. Yet they dread taking a fertility test themselves,” says Dr Joshua Noreh of test tube babies and who does several semen analysis for his clients. 

Michael Mwaura, who had his semen analyzed in February this year, says it is not that easy. 

“When the doctor asked me to go through the process to help him understand why I and my wife could have children, I felt like a heavy burden placed on me. I never thought it could come this far.” 

It took James three days of agony and pleading from his wife to finally agree to do the test. 

Although many men would prefer to collect the semen at home in their own privacy and then take it to the laboratory for analysis, laboratory technicians recommend it be done at their premises to guarantee quality results and for identity purposes. 

The latter is extremely important in the cases of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) to avoid fraud. For those men unable to produce the sperm on their own, they are encouraged to use the assistance of their female partners to do so within the laboratory confines. 

But this is where the problem starts. Many men are uncomfortable going through the process while inside premises they consider strange and in the knowledge that other people in the building know what they are doing in the next room. 

Nevertheless, in instances where a man is allowed to collect the semen from home, then he has to submit it to the laboratory within one hour from the time of ejaculate. 

Despite these fears among men, doctors say they should not wait until when there is a problem, but take this analysis routinely because is good for them and their partners. 

Early analysis of semen quality is important as it will help them know if they have problems with their sperm and if it can be rectified before it is too late.  

Medics also believe knowledge of sperm quality can help men who have problems to get children early enough. Or reduce incidences of violence against women when they cannot conceive. 

Invariably, women are blamed when a couple cannot have children, yet studies show that over 30 per cent of causes of infertility are directly attributable to a man. 

When considering sperm quality therefore, doctors assess three critical things: sperm count -quantity, motility, and sperm shape and structure - quality. Bacterial or viral infections of the sperm are also assessed. 

Sperm count in one single ejaculate by a fertile man should normally be over 20 million sperm cells per milliliter (million/mL), according to World Health Organization guidelines on fertility. 

Those men with sperm count between 10 and 20 million/mL sperms cells are considered to have a mild sub-fertile condition or to have male factor infertility. Anything below 10 million is severe form of sub-fertility. 

“The first thing we do for such men is to investigate if the testes are producing enough sperm or if there is a blockage with the sperm ducts, hindering sperm flow,” says Dr Noreh. 

Also investigated is the life-style or state of health of the man, factors that have a direct bearing on sperm count. 

Stress, illness, taking excessive caffeine or alcohol, injury to the testicles, excessive heat to the testicles, vitamin deficiencies, and blockage of Vas Deferens are likely to result in low sperm count. 

Blockage of sperm ducts – the Vas Deferens- can be due to infection, trauma, or difficulties with reversing a vasectomy operation. If the blockage is due to artificial factors, then surgery is used to try and unblock them. 

But when tit is due to natural factors, conventional treatment is impossible and artificial insemination or IVF has to be used. 

In some cases where men have low sperm count, hormonal replacement maybe done to increase the levels of the hormone responsible for sperm production. 

Using nutritional supplements such as vitamin E, C, zinc and L-arginine; avoiding bathing in hot water and saunas; wearing loose underwear like boxers shorts, and doing away with alcohol, also greatly helps improve sperm count. 

In fact, some men who are planning to have children and have sperm count problems are advised to avoid some of these things and use supplements to increase sperm production. 

Known as fertility supplement, vitamin E helps to correct the functioning of the endocrine glands, which are critical in sperm production. 

Zinc on the other hand increases both sperm count and sperm motility. L-arginine, a protein amino acid present in the proteins of all life forms, improves sperm count and motility as well as sexual desire and ejaculation. 

Apart from sperm count, fertility experts say assessing sperm motility- ability of sperm to move and swim quickly- will help a man to know how active his sperm is. 

For sperm in a single ejaculate to be considered normal, 50 percent of it needs to be motile. A progressively motile sperm is known to swim forward in a straight line, while a non-progressively motile sperm swims in an abnormal path like in tight circles. 

Men with sperms that are not motile cannot sire children and need to be assisted through artificial insemination. 

Under this procedure, the man’s sperm is retrieved and then inserted in a woman’s uterus when she is ovulating. 

Nutritional supplements like vitamin C can help make sperm more motile by preventing it from sticking together, which improves its flow and chances for fertility.  

Knowing the structure of your sperm is equally important in determining its quality. Scientists say more than 14 per cent of the sperm should have normal structure for a man to sire children. 

Ordinarily, a quality sperm should have an oval head and tail in order for it to float and penetrate the egg for fertilization to take place. Sperm without a tail, with large, small, tapered or crooked heads, curled or double tails are less likely to fertilize an egg. 

In cases of poor sperm structure, interventions will range from artificial insemination, to IVF, if insemination fails to work. 

Surgical treatment for people with severe sperm structure and motility is also used to manage infertility problems. 

Benefits of early semen analysis do not end there. Laboratory sperm tests help the man to know the viscosity of the sperm. Quality sperm should flow with ease 30 minutes outside the body. 

This is a test men can do in their own privacy by putting the sperm in a container and then waiting for 30 minutes to pass before testing its easiness to flow. 

Studies have shown that after this time has elapsed, quality sperm will be watery, flowing with ease. While sperm of poor quality will remain sticky and mucus in form after this duration. 

An AWC-Feature