Patient's question:
Hello, doctor. My wife and I have been married for eight years. We have not been able to get pregnant and have been treating infertility for five years without success. Now, I need to undergo a sperm quality test. I would like to ask, how many days of abstinence are required for a sperm test, and what are the normal conditions?Doctor's answer:
Precautions Before Sperm Test Before providing a semen sample, the patient should stop sexual activity for 5 to 7 days. No medications should be used for one week before the test. Drinking alcohol should be avoided for one month before the test, and this must be strictly followed.Precautions before a sperm test include collecting the semen sample using soft soap or petroleum jelly for penile massage, and collecting the specimen in a sterile test tube. Alternatively, a condom (cleaned and free of spermicidal agents) or the coitus interruptus method can be used, but the amount collected this way is often insufficient.
Another precaution is that if the above methods fail to produce a semen sample, rectal massage of the seminal vesicles and the terminal part of the vas deferens, or urethral compression to collect urine, may be performed to check for sperm in the sediment.
It is also a precaution not to expose the semen to excessively hot or cold environments. The sample should be promptly handed over to the doctor for examination within 30 minutes. On cold days, it is important to keep warm, and the sample can be kept in a pocket inside clothing to maintain temperature.
If bacterial culture is required, the urethral opening should be washed and disinfected before collecting the semen in a sterile test tube.
Alternatively, you may consult the Reproductive Medicine Center affiliated with Guangdong Medical University.