🧪 Semen analysis & sperm quality: what to expect

Prepare with your Nigerian clinic or laboratory

• Confirm whether you need a referral, appointment, identification or payment documents.
• Follow the laboratory's exact abstinence instructions and tell them if you could not follow them.
• Use the collection container supplied or approved by the laboratory.
• Tell the clinician about recent fever, medicines, supplements and previous fertility testing.

From booking to results

1. 1. Check collection arrangements

   Ask whether collection is on-site or at home and what privacy arrangements are available. If collecting at home, obtain the laboratory's transport, temperature and delivery instructions first.

2. 2. Prepare as instructed

   Wash and dry your hands and follow the lab's genital-cleaning directions. Do not use antiseptic wipes, lubricants or ordinary condoms unless specifically approved; they may affect the sample.

3. 3. Collect and report any difficulty

   Collect by the method agreed with the lab, usually masturbation into its container. Try to collect the entire sample, record the time and tell staff if any was lost. Ask about approved alternatives if needed.

4. 4. Review the whole picture

   Discuss results alongside both partners' histories. Concentration means sperm per volume; total count means the number in the whole sample. Your clinician will advise whether and when to repeat testing.

Classic mistakes

• ❌ Reading a reference range as a verdict A value outside the range does not automatically mean pregnancy is impossible, and values within it do not guarantee pregnancy.
• ❌ Hiding a collection problem A missed portion, transport delay or recent illness can matter. Telling staff helps them interpret the result fairly.
• ❌ Assuming home collection is always unsuitable Some laboratories accept it under a specific protocol. Follow their instructions rather than improvising.

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