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Semen abnormalities and pathologies following semen analysis
It is very common to talk about female infertility today, but what about male infertility?
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), male infertility is characterised by a dysfunction or disorder of the reproductive system.
More generally, it is defined as the inability to become pregnant after 12 months or more despite regular unprotected regular unprotected sexual intercourse.
Semen pathologies are one of the main causes of male infertility and a frequent reason for seeking assisted reproduction treatment. Conditions such as hyperspermia, azoospermia, or teratozoospermia can affect the quantity, quality, or morphology of sperm, directly influencing the chances of achieving pregnancy. Understanding what these diagnoses mean, how they are detected and what implications they have is essential in order to address them appropriately and in a personalised manner.
To explore this topic in greater depth, we spoke to Beatriz Lozano, director of the IVF laboratory and specialist in andrology at Vida Fertility, who explains what lies behind these semen pathologies, how they are analysed in the laboratory and what alternatives we offer at Vida Fertility depending on each case.
- 1. Causes of male infertility
- 2. Causes of male infertility
- 3. Semen abnormalities: types and the most common
- 4. Sperm pathologies
- 5. How do we diagnose male infertility?
- 6. Frequently asked questions about semen abnormalities or pathologies
- 6.1. How is a semen analysis performed?
- 6.2. What are normal values in a semen analysis?
- 6.3. What is sperm quality?
- 6.4. What factors affect semen quality?
- 6.5. How can semen quality be improved?
- 6.6. What types of abnormalities can be observed in sperm?
- 6.7. What types of deformities are there in semen?
- 6.8. What is the most common sperm abnormality?
- 6.9. When should you be concerned about your sperm?
- 6.10. Do mobile phones and tight clothing affect sperm?
- 7. Our fertility treatments
- 8. Where can I find Vida Fertility centres in Spain?
Causes of male infertility
Male infertility can be due to various causes such as heavy medication, exposure to high temperatures, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, STIs or sperm abnormalities spermatozoa.
These causes can affect the quality of the sperm and therefore have an impact on the chances of getting pregnant.
In this article we will look at the different sperm diseases, also known as sperm abnormalities.
Causes of male infertility
Male infertility can be caused by a variety of factors, such as excessive medication, exposure to high temperatures, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, STIs, or sperm abnormalities.
These causes can affect sperm quality and therefore influence the chances of achieving pregnancy.
In this article, we will list the different diseases that affect sperm, also known as sperm abnormalities.
Semen abnormalities: types and the most common
Semen abnormalities are a cause of male infertility. Analysing sperm quality using a semen analysis will provide information on sperm concentration, motility and morphology, as well as volume, viscosity, pH, liquefaction and colour, which will be carried out after a macroscopic study.
Sperm pathologies
The WHO establishes reference criteria to determine whether a sample is normozoospermic (semen quality within normal limits). When one or more of the semen analysis parameters fall below these values, the sample is considered abnormal and is classified according to the anomaly detected.
Hypospermia
Complete ejaculatory volume less than 1.5 ml.
Hypospermia is detected when the total ejaculate is less than 1.5 millilitres. Retrograde ejaculation, ejaculation which instead of going outside goes up to the bladder, is usually the main cause of this.
However, it can also be caused by genetic disorders, hormonal imbalances or congenital abnormalities. It is one of the causes of male infertility and does not always involve sterility.
Aspermia
Zero ejaculatory volume.
A condition in which a man experiences so-called dry orgasms or orgasms in which there is no sperm released. It can also be the result of retrograde ejaculation, genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis, absence of vas deferens, hormonal imbalances, and the use of antidepressants. Although it can be treated, it is often a problem for people planning a pregnancy.
Asthenozoospermia
This is a condition where a large percentage of sperm cells move abnormally. This means that their mobility is poor or incorrect. It may also be accompanied by a low sperm count.
The causes of this disorder include a poor lifestyle or genetic and hormonal problems. There are also treatments for this disorder.
Necrozoospermia
In these cases, all the sperm in the semen are dead. It is a rare cause of male infertility. This term is used when more than 42% of the sperm present in the ejaculate are dead.
Hyperspermia
Ejaculatory volume greater than 6 ml.
Hyperspermia is a condition in which a man produces an above-average volume of semen. It contains sperm, as well as fluid from the prostate gland.
This can be caused by abstinence from sex for too long or anatomical and functional damage to the seminal glands. This condition is rare and should not cause any fertility problems in men. fertility concerns in men.
Sperm concentration below 15 million/ml.
This is a condition in which a man may have a low sperm count as well as problems with the shape and movement of the sperm.
This problem can be due to a varicocele, hormonal imbalances, undescended testicles, infections of the reproductive system, environmental conditions and lifestyle choices. In some cases, a few lifestyle changes can help to improve the situation.
Polyzoospermia
Sperm concentration above 250 million/ml.
The presence of more than 200 million sperm per cc. It can be the cause of sterility since such a high concentration of sperm can make their progressive mobility difficult.
In practice, it is resolved by preparing the sperm for intrauterine inseminations.
Azoospermia
Absence of sperm on the “fresh” ejaculate.
This is a condition in which a man releases semen that does not contain sperm during an orgasm. It is a serious type of male infertility.
It can be caused by genetic disorders, hormonal imbalances, congenital abnormalities, untreated STDs or cancer treatment.
Cryptozoospermia
A condition in which the number of sperm in the semen is significantly lower than average. This is defined as less than 100,000 sperm per millilitre.
It is very difficult for a couple to achieve a pregnancy if the partner is affected by this condition. It is advisable to use Assisted Reproductive Technologies to overcome this problem.
In this condition, the majority of the sperm in the semen have an abnormal shape. For example, the sperm may have more than one head, a tail or simply have a strange head shape.
This prevents them from moving normally and affects their ability to fertilise an egg, reducing the chances of pregnancy.
>> Read more about the chances of pregnancy with teratozoospermia here <<
Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT)
A condition that combines several sperm abnormalities. In this case, the shape, size and movement of the spermatozoa are abnormal.
The sperm count may also be lower than normal. This is a very complex condition with many possible causes. It is the leading cause of male infertility.
Leukocytospermia
This is a condition characterised by the presence of a large number of white blood cells in the semen. It is often a sign of an infectious inflammatory condition.
This inflammation reduces the mobility of the sperm, which can have a negative impact by causing a lack of fertilisation or poor embryonic development. This is more of a sperm abnormality than a sperm abnormality.
How do we diagnose male infertility?
The seminal quality is not related to the general health of the man. A completely healthy man can suffer from seminal pathologies that prevent him from fertilizing the egg.
In order to find out what the main cause preventing fertility is, we look at the male factor, as well as the female factor. To do so, we perform an exhaustive analysis of the semen sample in which we evaluate the concentration, motility and morphology of the spermatozoa.
With this result we can refine the diagnosis to guide the treatment towards the best guarantees of pregnancy.
If you want a specialist to evaluate your case, do not hesitate to ask for a free first medical appointment with one of our gynecologists. We are here to help you
Frequently asked questions about semen abnormalities or pathologies
Beatriz Lozano responds:
Before performing a semen analysis, the patient is asked to refrain from ejaculating for two days, not to have a fever or the flu, and not to have taken antibiotics during the eight days prior to the semen test.
After ejaculation, our andrology laboratory department studies the results of the semen analysis using the values set by the OMS.
Beatriz Lozano replies:
- Volume: 1.5 millilitres (ml).
- Total number of sperm: 39 million per ejaculate.
- Sperm concentration: 15 million per ml.
- Vitality: 58% alive.
- Progressive motility: 32%.
- Total motility (progressive and non-progressive): 40%.
- Normal morphology: 4%.
If the results of the semen analysis are within these values, they are within the average range for fertile men, but this does not guarantee fertility.
Beatriz Lozano responds:
Sperm quality is the ability of sperm to:
- Move effectively: Motility
- Have adequate morphology: shape and structure
- Fertilise the egg.
As we have already mentioned, sperm or semen quality is not related to infertility, as a completely healthy man may suffer from semen disorders that prevent fertilisation.
Beatriz Lozano replies:
Some external factors affect semen quality and we can improve or change them:
- Age and testosterone
- High temperatures
- Sexual abstinence
- Alcohol and drugs
- Stress
Beatriz Lozano replies:
To improve sperm quality, we recommend:
- A healthy diet and lifestyle
- Exercise
- Taking vitamin and antioxidant supplements
Within 3 to 6 weeks, it is possible to obtain better semen analysis results if you follow our recommendations.
Beatriz Lozano replies:
As we have explained, the OMS establishes reference criteria to determine whether a sample is normozoospermic (semen quality within the normal range). When one or more of the semen analysis parameters fall below these values, the sample is considered abnormal and is classified according to the anomaly detected.
- Azoospermia
- Oligozoospermia
- Asthenozoospermia
- Teratozoospermia
- Hypospermia
- Leukospermia
- Necrospermia
The combination of alterations in concentration, motility and morphology indicates poorer semen quality, which makes pregnancy more difficult and may necessitate the use of assisted reproduction techniques.
Beatriz Lozano replies:
The OMS defines morphologically ‘perfect’ sperm as having an oval head with a well-defined acrosome, a correctly attached and proportionate neck, and a thin tail of adequate length, with a total size of approximately 50-60 microns.
If it does not meet these parameters, it is considered abnormal, and we can find the following types of abnormalities in semen:
- Head deformities
- Neck deformities
- Tail deformities
Beatriz Lozano replies:
The most common semen abnormality or pathology is teratozoospermia, characterised by a high percentage of sperm with abnormal morphology (in the head, neck or tail), usually above 96%.
Beatriz Lozano replies:
Semen should be whitish or greyish in colour. If it is a different colour, has a strong odour, is very low in volume or has a lumpy or very watery texture, there may be an infection that needs to be treated.
Beatriz Lozano replies:
Tight clothing can impair sperm quality by increasing testicular temperature. On the other hand, although there is no definitive evidence regarding mobile phones in pockets, it is advisable not to always carry them close to the genital area.
Therefore, although wearing tight clothing and carrying a mobile phone in your pocket for many hours can have an influence, we should pay more attention to other factors such as smoking, alcohol, poor diet, BMI and fertility.
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Where can I find Vida Fertility centres in Spain?
📍 C/ Palermo 15, Hortaleza, 28043 Madrid
📞 Phone number: +34 919 29 83 23
🕒 Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 8am to 7pm
📍 Av. Óscar Esplá 1, Bajo, 03008 Alicante
📞 Phone number: +34 919 29 83 23
🕒 Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 8am to 7pm
ℹ️ The information published on Vida Fertility is reviewed by our fertility specialists and medical team, following up-to-date scientific criteria and evidence-based medicine. Our team is a member at scientific societies such as SEF, ESHRE and SEGO.
