Male Fertility Test | Home Sperm Test

There are two very different kinds of home test. Pharmacy rapid tests give a yes or no on whether sperm concentration is above a threshold, in minutes, and measure nothing else; they miss the movement and shape problems that cause much male infertility. This test is a home-collected laboratory semen analysis: you collect at home, post the sample in a preservative that stabilises it, and an accredited laboratory measures nine parameters against WHO reference ranges, exactly as a fertility clinic would. It is as accurate as a clinic analysis provided you follow the collection and posting instructions.

The standard first test of male fertility. It measures the volume of the sample, the concentration of sperm per millilitre and the total count, what proportion are moving forwards (progressive motility), moving at all (total motility) or not moving, what proportion are alive (vitality), and what proportion have a normal shape (morphology). Each is reported against the WHO reference range, for example 1.4 ml volume, 16 million per ml, and 30 percent progressive motility as the lower limits. You also receive an image and short video of your own sample.

Start with a semen analysis, because it is the test most likely to find a problem: a male factor is the cause or a contributor in around half of couples who struggle to conceive, and most of it shows in count, motility or morphology. If the analysis is abnormal, a hormone blood test, FSH, LH, testosterone, SHBG and prolactin, explains why and whether it is treatable; our Male Hormone and Fertility Blood Test covers it from £79. Because sperm take around three months to develop, a repeat analysis after three months is often the next step.

Three to seven days, with two to three days often quoted as ideal, which is why clinics say two and a half days. Less than two days and the volume and count are low because the reserve has not rebuilt; more than seven and motility falls as older sperm accumulate. Abstaining longer does not give a better result. Avoid a fever, heavy drinking, saunas and hot baths in the weeks before, as all reduce sperm quality temporarily.

Your kit is dispatched the day you order and arrives next day by tracked post in plain packaging. Put the preservative vial in the freezer when it arrives and leave the cool pack at room temperature in the base of the kit. On a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, after 3 to 7 days' abstinence, register the kit with the six-digit code on the cup and complete a short health questionnaire, collect the whole sample directly into the cup without lubricant or a condom, wait 15 minutes for it to liquefy, add the thawed preservative as the guide instructs, pack it and post it the same day before the last collection. The laboratory analyses it on arrival and your consultation is booked.

Because the laboratory cannot analyse samples at weekends and sperm motility falls the longer a sample is in transit. Posting early in the week guarantees the sample arrives on a working day. The analysis also records how long your sample was in transit and how much preservative was used, and models what the motility was at the moment of collection, so the report reflects your sperm rather than the postal journey. If a sample arrives with no moving sperm at all, that cannot be modelled and a replacement kit is sent free.

A 30-minute video call with a registered fertility nurse, booked automatically once your report is ready, usually the next working day; your partner is welcome to join. The nurse goes through each of the nine parameters, explains what they mean in the context of your health and lifestyle, and sets out personalised next steps, which can include a repeat test, lifestyle changes, a hormone test or onward referral to a fertility clinic. Results are shared in the consultation rather than emailed cold, so you hear them from someone who can answer questions. Your report, notes and sample images follow afterwards.

Your report shows each parameter against the WHO range, so you see where you sit rather than a bare normal or abnormal. Results within range are reassuring but do not guarantee fertility; borderline results often prompt a repeat in three months; results below range lead to advice on next steps, which can include referral. A below-range result does not mean you cannot father a child, and many men with below-range results conceive naturally. Sperm quality responds to illness, fever, stress, heat, weight, alcohol and smoking, so one sample is a snapshot, and improvements take about three months to show.

Yes. A post-vasectomy semen analysis checks that no sperm remain in the sample, usually 12 to 16 weeks after the operation and after at least 20 ejaculations. This test reports count and any moving sperm, and the nurse explains whether the result confirms clearance or whether a repeat is needed. Continue contraception until you have been told the vasectomy has worked.

£240 for the home kit, tracked delivery both ways, laboratory analysis of nine parameters, your report with images, and the 30-minute nurse consultation. Clinic semen analyses in the UK typically cost £150 to £250 without a consultation, and pharmacy rapid tests £15 to £40 for a single concentration threshold.

Yes, through your GP once you and your partner have been trying for a year (six months if she is over 36). You are given a container and a slot to deliver the sample to a hospital laboratory within an hour of collection, and results go back to your GP in a few weeks. This test is for men who want the answer sooner, privately, without the hospital trip, or who are planning ahead; the report can be shared with your GP or a fertility clinic.

The laboratory usually reports the same day it receives your sample, and your consultation is booked for the next available day, so most men have their results and consultation within 2 to 3 working days of posting the sample. Use your kit within the period stated in the kit instructions of ordering.