Doing Semen Analysis at Home

• Why Do Your Own Semen Analysis?
• How To Do Semen Analysis at Home
• Accurate Sperm Counting
• Sperm Videos
• Improving Sperm Health
• What is Normal?
• Predicting Ovulation- Ferning
• Links and Resources

With a little practice you will become quite proficient at doing your own semen analysis. The hardest part is getting the equipment together and calibrating the microscope. We've done both those things for you.

Our kits include detailed, step-by-step instructions for doing your own semen analysis at home. The instructions describe how to do sperm counts, and evaluate motility and morphology. Our Standard Home Semen Analysis Kit (Patent Pending) contains everything you need to do your own semen analysis. We also sell semen analysis supplies individually. You can see a table of results done with our kits and by professional labs.

The following is a brief description of how to do your own sperm count:

Become Familiar with the Microscope

The photos in Fig. 1-4 were taken at 400X with Model 10 microscope. The black arrow is the pointer in the eyepiece.

Fig. 5 (above) shows a photo of sperm taken taken at 400 power with a Model DC-128 microscope.

Set up the microscope somewhere where you can be comfortable. Review the microscope instructions and become familiar with the microscope's coarse and fine focus adjustment.

Do a Practice Analysis

Start with the stained sperm slide (Fig. 1; note that clicking on an image at right launches a popup window with a larger view). This lets you see what sperm look like under the microscope.

Make your own slides of Sperm Sized Spheres (Fig. 2) using the standard slides and cover slips. Place a small drop of the solution on the slide. You want to use a small amount so that it just fills the cover slip. The photos at the right were taken at 400X. You should be able to see the spheres clearly even at 100X. When you feel comfortable with your microscope skills move on to the next step.

Use one of the Standard Depth Slides to count the Sperm Sized Spheres. Since you know how many Sperm Sized Spheres there are per mL you can be confident about your ability to count sperm.

Do a Real Sperm Count

Now you are ready for the real thing (Fig. 3-5). To get an accurate sperm count you should have three to four days of abstinence before collecting the sample. Collect the sample by masturbation or using a semen collection condom.

Make several slides using inexpensive standard slides and cover slips as described above for the Sperm Sized Spheres. Do this until you are comfortable that everything is working for you.

If the sperm are moving so much that you cannot count them you can put the container in hot water to kill the sperm. If you can find it, adding a drop or two of formaldehyde also works to immobilize the sperm. For the field of view on our microscopes, if there are so many sperm and they are moving so fast that it is hard to count them you have no worries.

Now use a Standard Depth Slide. Count the number of sperm in the field of view. Estimate the percentage of motile and immotile sperm.

Download a free spreadsheet that you can use to do the calculations and to keep track of your results. The table at the bottom of the spreadsheet shows actual results. The table includes results for semen analysis done at home and semen analysis done by a clinic.