ABSTRACT
Defining poor sperm quality Male fertility is defined as the ability of men to produce and deliver by normal intercourse spermatozoa that can cause conception in the partner at the normal rate of 20% per month. In couples not achieving pregnancy within 1 year, poor sperm quality is often found (up to 50% of cases). But how is sperm quality defined and tested? And is this poor sperm quality related to the decreased probability of conception? The latest WHO Manual for Standardized Investi-
gation and Diagnosis of the Infertile Couple1 defines normal sperm quality as follows:
• seminal plasma volume ≥2 ml • sperm concentration ≥20.0 million/ml • sperm motility grade A + B ≥50% • normal sperm morphology ≥30% (Kruger criteria
≥14%).
