Diagnostic semen analysis

A diagnostic semen analysis is the gold standard test used to assess male fertility potential or confirming the success of procedures such as vasectomy by measuring several key factors in your ejaculate (semen). At Homerton Fertility Centre, we offer a diagnostic basic semen analysis that examines several important variables, including:

• Volume: The amount of ejaculate produced.
• Viscosity: How thick or thin the semen is.
• Sperm Motility: The way the sperm cells move, which is vital for fertilization.
• Sperm Concentration: The number of sperm present in the ejaculate.
• Sperm Morphology: The shape and size of sperm cells.

We use the Computer-Aided Sperm Analysis (CASA) software and manual assessment when necessary to conduct the analysis, which is reported to your referring GP or clinician according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 2021 sixth edition standards to ensure accurate, reliable, and thorough analysis.

After your GP referral, the Homerton administration team will contact you once the referral has been accepted to schedule an appointment to drop off your semen sample.

You must only use the sterile container provided by Homerton Fertility Centre. You can pick up the sample collection kit from the Homerton Fertility Centre reception, Monday to Friday, 08:30am-4:00pm at least 10 days before your appointment; samples in other containers will be rejected.  

• You must abstain from ejaculation for two days prior to your appointment. Frequent ejaculation is encouraged leading up to the appointment, but a maximum of two days abstinence is required for an accurate analysis.
• Collect the sample by masturbation into the sterile sample container provided by the Homerton Fertility centre only. The container remains sterile until opened so avoid touching the inside.
• Please wash and dry your hands and genitals thoroughly before providing the sample and write your name and date of birth on the sample container- samples with improper/incomplete labelling will not be analysed.
• Ensure the entire sample is collected, especially the initial fraction which contains the most motile sperm. Do not attempt to recover any spillage, but please report it on the collection form. Replace the lid firmly immediately after collecting the sample.
• Do not use lubricant, water, hand creams, or condoms when collecting the sample. Special condoms may be provided by the Homerton Fertility centre for a £20 charge if required and by prior arrangement.

You may produce your sample at home (off-site) or onsite (Homerton Fertility Centre).

• If producing onsite (Homerton Fertility Centre), the sample must always be kept upright and placed in the inner pocket of the provided zip-lock specimen bag before being placed in the pass-through vault. Producing your sample onsite at Homerton Fertility Centre must be pre-arranged and confirmed at the time of appointment booking.
• If producing off-site (home), the sample must be brought to the Homerton Fertility Centre at your allocated appointment time and within 40 minutes from the time of production . During transportation the sample container should not be exposed to extreme temperatures, keep the sample upright and close to the body under your clothes.
• Do not produce your sample in a public area e.g. public toilets, car parks or anywhere else in the hospital as this is illegal (Sexual Offences Act 2003) and could result in prosecution.

After successfully collecting your sample, please drop it off in the BLACK drop box, along with the completed sample delivery form, at your scheduled appointment time. The Andrology team requires the form to process and interpret your results. The drop box is located on the right-hand side of the Homerton Fertility Centre reception. Location:

Homerton Fertility Centre
First Floor
Homerton University Hospital
Homerton Row
London E9 6SR

Open, Monday to Friday – 08.00 am to 04.00 p.m. We are not open on Saturdays, Sundays, or public holidays.

Please be aware that if you arrive more than 10 minutes late, your appointment will be cancelled. In such cases, the laboratory reserves the right to discharge you back to your GP, and a new appointment will need to be scheduled.

·         It is collected in a container not issued by Homerton Fertility.

·         The entire sample has leaked during transit.

·         It is collected in an unlabelled or incorrectly labelled container and not accompanied by a completed and signed form.

·         It is not produced on the same day as the scheduled appointment.

·         The time between sample production and analysis does not allow for accurate analysis (above 40mins).

·         It is submitted without a corresponding patient appointment.

·         It is dropped off outside the allocated appointment time and day.

·         It is dropped off by an unauthorised representative and the semen analysis form has not been signed by the patient.

Your semen analysis result will be sent to your referring clinician or GP within 10 working days. Unfortunately, the andrology staff are unable to provide this result to you directly. Please do not call the Andrology Laboratory for results, as they will not be given over the phone.

Your clinician may recommend a repeat test after an additional period of abstinence, if you are unable to provide a sample, your collection is incomplete, or if any of your sperm parameters fall below the fifth percentile (WHO 2021, Sixth Edition). This is to ensure the results accurately reflect a typical ejaculate.

After your diagnostic semen analysis is complete, any remaining portion of your sample will be safely disposed of in accordance with the Trust’s waste management policy and will not be kept for treatment purposes.

If you have provided written consent on the Instructions for Semen Analysis form, your sample may be used on the day of collection for staff training in procedures such as preparation of sperm for intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), or simulation of the intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) process. It may also be used to train staff in freezing and warming sperm samples; however, the samples will not be cryostored. Additionally, samples may be used for semen analysis training or quality control purposes.

Your sample will never be used for patient treatment and will be safely disposed of on the day of collection.

If you have any questions about the use of your sample for training or quality control, please ask to speak with a member of the laboratory team before leaving your sample for diagnostic semen analysis.