Standardized Laboratory Procedures, Quality Control and Quality Assurance Are Key Requirements for Accurate Semen Analysis in the Evaluation of Infertile Male

• Published in: World Journal of Men's Health
• Main Author: Agarwal A.; Sharma R.; Gupta S.; Finelli R.; Parekh N.; Selvam M.K.P.; Pompeu C.P.; Madani S.; Belo A.; Darbandi M.; Singh N.; Darbandi S.; Covarrubias S.; Sadeghi R.; Arafa M.; Majzoub A.; Caraballo M.; Giroski A.; McNulty K.; Durairajanayagam D.; Henkel R.
• Format: Review
• Language: English
• Published: Korean Society for Sexual Medicine and Andrology 2022
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85122975572&doi=10.5534%2fwjmh.210022&partnerID=40&md5=e8d901a8c444b6dc1baf0026f377ef67

Semen analysis is a basic test for evaluating male fertility potential, as it plays an essential role in driving the future management and treatment of infertility in couples. Manual semen analysis includes the evaluation of both macroscopic and microscopic parameters, whereas automated semen analysis is conducted through a computer-aided sperm analysis system and can include additional parameters that are not evaluated by manual analysis. Both quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) are important to ensure reproducible results for semen analysis, and represent fundamental checks and balances of all stages (pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical) of semen analysis. To ensure accuracy and precision, the laboratory technicians’ performance should be evaluated biannually. This narrative review aims to describe standardized laboratory procedures for an accurate assessment of semen parameters that incorporate both QC and QA practices. Copyright © 2022 Korean Society for Sexual Medicine and Andrology