Keep Calm and Carry on counting sperm For the past 8 years I have been teaching MSc students how to count sperm. However, a few years ago I read an interview published as part of ESHREs In Profile series where Jackson Kirkman-Brown suggests that a sperm count is a relatively poor index [...]
WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen, now in Italian and Korean. The WHO released the sixth edition of its Manual for the Laboratory Examination and Processing of Human Semen in Italian and Korean languages. This document provides updated, standardized, evidence-based procedures and recommendations for laboratory managers, scientists [...]
The evolutionary consequences of sperm competition or the lack of sperm competition Fig. 1: Scanning EM: Gerbil sperm. What is sperm competition? It is the competitive process between spermatozoa of two or more different males to fertilize the same egg(s) during sexual reproduction. This form of competitive reproduction is by far [...]
Are factors apart from sperm functional parameters important in assessing potential male fertility? In previous blogs I alluded to the many ways used to assess sperm quality. The gold standard for human semen analysis is the World Health Organization Manual. The most recent edition is referred to as WHO 6 (2021). I [...]
¿Qué es un seminograma y para qué sirve? El seminograma es una prueba fundamental para determinar el grado de fertilidad masculina. Suele realizarse en el marco de un tratamiento de reproducción asistida, cuando los miembros de la pareja detectan dificultades para conseguir un embarazo. Asimismo, sirve para determinar si el hombre sufre [...]
What does WHO4, WHO 5, WHO 6 and the literature say about the use of CASA? Computer aided sperm analysis is capable of measuring sperm parameters such as motility, morphology, vitality etc. quantitatively and accurately. The question is to what extent does WHO 4, 5 and 6 accept CASA technology as both [...]
WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen The WHO just released the sixth edition of its Manual for the Laboratory Examination and Processing of Human Semen. This document provides updated, standardized, evidence-based procedures and recommendations for laboratory managers, scientists and technicians. See more
Is CASA really required? Views from the past, the present and the future The big questions are: Does CASA measure sperm parameters such as motility, morphology, vitality etc. quantitatively, accurately and to what extent does it enhance clinical spermatology for human and animals and wildlife? Does it provide answers not only on [...]
Is infertility a disease or a condition or a symptom? Is infertility a disease or a condition or a symptom? This aspect is much debated and very diverse opinions exist on this topic. But let us first review some formal considerations: The World Health Organization defines infertility to be “a disease of [...]
New ventures in our understanding of sperm functionality In 2016 I wrote a blog on standardization of semen analysis in humans but with the emphasis on reviewing sperm motility analysis since the 1600’s until 2016. I showed the importance of standardization of quantitative semen analyses and the power of CASA in assisting [...]
