Semen quality is determined by 3 factors.6-8

Sperm count
The amount of sperm during ejaculation. A low sperm count can reduce the chances of fertilising an egg.

Sperm motility
Can be broken down into non-progressive motility and progressive motility. Non-progressive motility, as the term suggests, means that the sperm are not traveling in straight lines, which makes it very difficult for them to reach an egg.

Sperm morphology
The actual size and shape of sperm – and, more specifically, the shape of the head. All of this impacts the sperm’s ability to penetrate the egg.
Tip
It takes at least 15 million ‘mobile’ sperm per millilitre of semen to help conceive naturally!6
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