Built for the night you get the report and nobody is answering the phone

How the content is made

Every explainer starts as an evidence dossier, not a script. For each parameter we read the WHO 6th-edition manual and its critical reviews, the AUA/ASRM and EAU guidelines, the Cochrane reviews that cover interventions, and the primary cohort and meta-analysis papers behind the numbers people quote. Each claim in the dossier is logged with its source, study design, sample size, and whether we read the primary paper, the abstract, or a named review.

The pages and Shorts are written from those dossiers. The bracketed numbers on each page point to the sources list at the bottom, and the list states which of those three levels each source was read at. When the literature disagrees, the page says so rather than picking a side.

What this site will not do

• It will not tell you whether you are fertile. The reference ranges describe where fertile men fall; they do not predict any one couple's chances.
• It will not recommend treatments, supplements, or products. Where guidelines say something is not recommended, we say that.
• It will not replace the clinician who has examined you. Every page ends with questions to bring to that appointment, because that conversation is where decisions belong.

Disclaimer

This website provides general educational information about semen analysis reports. It is not medical advice, does not create a doctor–patient relationship, and is not a substitute for evaluation by a qualified clinician. Reference values are those published in the WHO laboratory manual, 6th edition (2021); pathway statements summarize the AUA/ASRM guideline (2024 amendment) and the EAU guideline on male infertility. Guidelines and evidence change; each page carries its last review date.

Privacy

The numbers box runs entirely in your browser. Values you type are not transmitted, stored, or logged. If you choose to give us your email address, it is used to send the checklist and occasional notes about new explainers, and nothing else. We do not sell or share addresses.

Primary sources used across the site

1. WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen, 6th edition (2021); reference distributions as reproduced in PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12539902/table/t1/
2. Boitrelle F et al. The sixth edition of the WHO manual: a critical review and SWOT analysis. Life 2021. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8706130/
3. AUA/ASRM Guideline on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Infertility in Men (2020, amended 2024). https://www.auanet.org/guidelines-and-quality/guidelines/male-infertility
4. EAU Guidelines on Sexual and Reproductive Health: Male Infertility. https://uroweb.org/guidelines/sexual-and-reproductive-health/chapter/male-infertility
5. de Ligny W et al. Antioxidants for male subfertility. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2022. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9066298/
6. Persad E et al. Surgical or radiological treatment for varicoceles in subfertile men. Cochrane 2021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33890288/
7. Guzick DS et al. Sperm morphology, motility, and concentration in fertile and infertile men. NEJM 2001. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa003005
8. Hamilton JA et al. Total motile sperm count: a better indicator for the severity of male factor infertility. Hum Reprod 2015. https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/humrep/dev058
9. Keel BA. Within- and between-subject variation in semen parameters in infertile men and normal semen donors. Fertil Steril 2006. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16412742/
10. Misell LM et al. A stable isotope method for measuring human spermatogenesis kinetics in vivo. J Urol 2006. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16406920/

Contact

Corrections are welcome and are the fastest way to improve the site. Write to [email protected] with the page and the source you believe we have misread.