There are many reasons for male infertility, the most important of which is whether the survival rate of sperm is normal. Only if male sperm is normal, can men have the possibility of fertility. So, what is normal male sperm like? How to determine whether male sperm is normal?
What does a normal male sperm look like? For every man, judging the normality of sperm depends on the color and smell of semen, as described below.
How to judge whether male sperm is healthy?
1. Color: Normally grayish white, but may appear pale yellow, milky white, or slightly green when ejaculated for a long time. Infections can be seen in the reproductive tract or accessory gonads; Redness in semen (blood semen) can be seen in seminal vesiculitis, cancer, tuberculosis, etc.
2. Semen volume: Normal people excrete 2-5 ml of semen each time. If it is less than 1 ml, it is abnormal. "Each ejaculation (0.5 ml) is a sign of decreased sperm production, and if there is no semen, it is a sign of azoospermia. azoospermia and reduced seminal stem are the main causes of male infertility. They can be seen in lesions of the prostate or seminal vesicle, congenital ureteral obstruction or inflammatory stenosis, or retrograde ejaculation.".
3. Acidity and alkalinity (pH): It is normally weakly alkaline, with a pH between 7.7 and 8.5. Excessive acidity or alkalinity in semen can affect sperm activity and metabolism, and is the main cause of sperm death (spermatozoosis).
4. Odor: Normal semen has a special fishy smell, which is emitted by prostate fluid. This fishy smell originates from certain components of prostate fluid.
5. Sperm count: Men with normal fertility have between 0.6 and 1.5 billion sperm per milliliter of semen, sometimes up to 200 million. The total number of sperm discharged at one ejaculation is about 300 million or more, but the content of sperm varies greatly from person to person, even if the same person has differences at different times. Therefore, calculating the total number of sperm discharged each time has greater diagnostic value than examining the sperm count alone.
High sperm density (more than 250 million per milliliter) is known as sperm excess syndrome. High sperm density often affects sperm activity, and even if pregnant, it is prone to miscarriage. The main reason is the low quality of the sperm itself.
6. Viscosity: Normal fresh semen is liquid, rapidly becoming a viscous peptone like semi fluid after discharge, and then becoming liquid again after 5 to 30 minutes. "If it does not liquefy for 30 minutes, it is abnormal. It can be seen in the absence or insufficiency of certain enzymes secreted by the prostate, as well as in tuberculosis of the reproductive system, which can also affect fertility.".