Semen Quality and Male Infertility The sperm count in white and cloudy semen is better than watery and clear semen. Watery semen may sometimes be considered as an indicator of fertility issues in males. In most cases, clear semen is indicative of a transient problem that may resolve spontaneously.
Thick semen: is it better for pregnancy? Thick semen might offer advantages over thin, runny semen, such as holding a higher number of sperm. Thicker semen may also have an easier time staying in the reproductive system long enough to fertilize an egg (Gurung, 2021).
Thick semen is not always a cause for concern, especially if this consistency is infrequent. However, if semen is often very thick, it can signal a problem with the prostate or the seminal vesicles. If a person has very thick semen, a doctor may refer to the issue as “semen hyperviscosity.”
A trained expert checks your sperm count, their shape, movement, and other characteristics. In general, if you have a higher number of normal-shaped sperm, it means you have higher fertility. But there are plenty of exceptions to this. A lot of guys with low sperm counts or abnormal semen are still fertile.
Unhealthy sperm can look very different from healthy sperm in terms of color, shape, and size. Normal healthy sperm ranges in color from a transparent to a grayish white, while unhealthy sperm can often appear yellow-green or off-white.
Sperm health is assessed by measuring 3 things: your sperm count, how your sperm move and their shape. If you and your partner are having trouble getting pregnant, your doctor may recommend a sperm test, known as semen analysis.
Some studies suggest that moderate ejaculation (2–4 times per week) is associated with a lower prostate cancer risk. However, ejaculating more often doesn't mean your cancer risk drops even more.
Pyospermia (also referred to as leukocytospermia) is a condition in which an unusually high number of white blood cells are in the semen — more than 1 million white blood cells per 1 milliliter of semen. Because white blood cells can weaken the sperm, pyospermia can damage its genetic material.
Normal semen is generally a clear, white, or gray color. Changes in its color may be temporary and may resolve without medical treatment. However, if people experience changes in semen that do not go away or come with other symptoms, such as infection or inflammation, they should seek medical attention.
You should see your healthcare provider any time you notice unusual body changes like yellow or brownish semen with specks. Brown or speckled semen may indicate blood in semen (hematospermia). Yellow or brown semen may not be cause for concern. But it could indicate a problem that requires treatment.
Fertility is most likely if the semen discharged in a single ejaculation (ejaculate) contains at least 15 million sperm per milliliter. Too little sperm in an ejaculation might make it more difficult to get pregnant because there are fewer candidates available to fertilize the egg.
Male fertility generally starts to reduce around age 40 to 45 years when sperm quality decreases. Increasing male age reduces the overall chances of pregnancy and increases time to pregnancy (the number of menstrual cycles it takes to become pregnant) and the risk of miscarriage and fetal death.
The concentration of sperm is what makes the semen cloudy and thick, so if your ejaculate is watery it is possible that you have a low sperm count. This doesn't mean you're infertile (so precautions to prevent pregnancy still need to be taken for couples that don't want to get pregnant).
Causes of male infertility
Abnormal sperm production or function due to undescended testicles, genetic defects, health problems such as diabetes, or infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, mumps or HIV. Enlarged veins in the testes (varicocele) also can affect the quality of sperm.
Yellow semen may also indicate urine in the semen. This can be an issue that requires attention from a fertility specialist, as it may indicate infertility. Pink or reddish-brown semen suggests that you may have some bleeding from or inflammation of your prostate.
You can visit a clinic or doctor's office. However, we recommend using an at-home testing kit, such as themyLAB Box Male Fertility Home Test. As you can probably guess, home sperm tests measure your total sperm count. This is helpful, since beyond testing, there may not be any visible signs and symptoms of infertility.
Men start losing their fertility at age 40.
In a study of more than 1,900 couples, irrespective of the woman's age, IVF attempts involving men 40 or older failed 70 percent more often than IVF attempts involving men younger than 30. Previous theory: Older men produce fewer kids because they get less sex.
Have sex often, at least 3 times a week, the more often you try, the more chances you get at becoming pregnant. Lying down for at least a few minutes after sex increases the odds that the sperm will be able to keep their date with the awaiting egg.
Signs and symptoms you may notice include: Problems with sexual function — for example, difficulty with ejaculation or small volumes of fluid ejaculated, reduced sexual desire, or difficulty maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction) Pain, swelling or a lump in the testicle area. Recurrent respiratory infections.
Only one sperm needs to survive in order to fertilize an egg. However, the journey from the man's testicle to the woman's uterus is long and arduous. After ejaculation, a single sperm cell measuring only 0.5 mm needs to swim over 152 mm from the base of the cervix to the egg for fertilization.
As men get older it is also usual for their semen to become slightly thinner with less volume being produced at ejaculation. It is therefore quite normal if there appear to be clumps of jelly-like globules in your semen and there is nothing to worry about here.