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Updated: Aug 20, 2026
Sperm Collection of Differential Quality Using Density Gradient Centrifugation
Published on: November 29, 2018
[Quality analysis of the primary semen samples from 512 donors]
Meiyi Liu1, Chunjie Ma, Lixin Tang
1Human Semen Bank, Guangdong Family Planning Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510600, China. dxlmyi@pub.guangzhou.gd.cn
Insights
Semen quality analysis revealed that a significant portion of donors did not meet established standards. Repeat testing is recommended to improve donor screening and highlight the importance of male reproductive health.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Medicine
- Andrology
- Public Health
Context:
- Semen quality is a critical indicator of male reproductive health.
- Donor screening is essential for assisted reproductive technologies and research.
- Standardized semen analysis protocols are crucial for accurate assessment.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the semen quality of 512 donors using World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA).
- To assess the proportion of donors meeting Chinese Ministry of Health semen standards and WHO reference values.
Summary:
- Only 28.5% of donors met the Chinese semen standard, while 52% fell below WHO reference values.
- 48% of donors showed potential fertility, but a substantial number did not meet stringent quality criteria.
- Computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) was employed for objective semen parameter evaluation.
Impact:
- Findings underscore the need for enhanced male reproductive health awareness and monitoring.
- Repeat semen analyses can improve the success rate of donor screening.
- The study highlights potential challenges in donor recruitment due to semen quality issues.
Objective:
To evaluate the semen quality of the donors.
Methods:
The semen parameters of the primary samples of 512 donors were examined following the World Health Organization (WHO) guide and computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA, product by Harmilton Thorne) system.
Results:
Of the 246 (246/512, 48%) donors with potential fertility, only 146 (146/512, 28.5%) came up to the semen standard set by the Chinese Ministry of Health, while 266 (266/512, 52%) were below the WHO reference values of semen parameters.
Conclusion:
Repeat semen analyses may increase the success rate in screening semen donors. The semen quality of the donors suggests that it is necessary to pay more attention to male reproductive health.