A healthy adult male produces up to 100 million sperm every day. The condition of these fundamental building blocks of new life can be determined through a sperm analysis. One of the most important parameters of this microscopic analysis is the motility of the sperm.
The most common causes of reduced motility include varicocele, structural defects of the flagellum, secretion disorders of the accessory sex glands, infections, or genetic defects.
If the overall motility of the sperm is less than 40%, it’s necessary to differentiate between immotile but living sperm and immotile dead sperm. The VITALITY TEST determines the ratio of live to dead sperm. This diagnostic tool is almost indispensable for men whose semen samples contain only immotile sperm. In such a case, the test indicates whether the sample can be successfully used for fertilizing eggs using assisted reproduction methods or if donor sperm will be needed.
The VITALITY TEST works based on staining. The dye used (eosin) penetrates only into dead sperm. Thus, after the dye application, live sperm remain white, while dead sperm with a damaged cytoplasmic membrane turn pink to red.
