Male Fertility, from the ground up
A four-part course that takes you from the basics of how sperm are made to reading your own results and improving them with evidence. Work through it in order, or jump to the stage you need.
Four lessons that build on each other.
Each lesson stands on its own, but read in order they take you from complete beginner to confidently reading and acting on a semen analysis.
Foundations of male fertility
Start here if the whole topic is new. How the male reproductive system works and what a semen analysis is really for.
- How sperm are made
- The 74-day production cycle
- What sperm analysis measures
Reading your semen analysis
The core of the course. What every number on your report means, and how the parameters interact rather than standing alone.
- Count & concentration
- Motility and morphology
- Volume, vitality and pH
Beyond the basic semen test
The deeper diagnostics a standard analysis misses, and when they are actually worth requesting from your doctor.
- DNA fragmentation
- Oxidative stress
- Hormone panels: FSH, LH, testosterone
Evidence-based sperm improvement
What genuinely moves the needle, separated from the marketing myths and supplement noise, with realistic timelines.
- Heat, weight and lifestyle
- Nutrition that has evidence
- Medical options and when to seek them
Normal vs abnormal semen values
Benchmarked against WHO 2021 lower reference limits. These are population thresholds, a single value below range does not equal infertility. Always interpret alongside a clinician.
| Parameter | WHO 2021 lower limit | Normal range | Below reference | Clinical term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semen volume | 1.4 mL | 1.4–6 mL | <1.4 mL | Hypospermia |
| Sperm concentration | 16 million/mL | 16–250 million/mL | <16 million/mL | Oligozoospermia |
| Total sperm count | 39 million | 39–900 million | <39 million | Oligozoospermia |
| Sperm motility | 42% | 42–80% | <42% | Asthenozoospermia |
| Progressive motility | 30% | 30–70% | <30% | Asthenozoospermia |
| Normal morphology | 4% | 4–30% | <4% | Teratozoospermia |
| Vitality (live sperm) | 54% | 54–90% | <54% | Necrozoospermia |
| pH | 7.2 | 7.2–8.0 | <7.2 | Acidic semen |
Important: Reference limits describe the lowest 5% of fertile men, not a hard cut-off for fertility. Results vary between samples, so abnormal findings are usually confirmed with a repeat test 2–3 months later.