Partner tests: semen analysis and male hormones
Male factor is involved in a large share of fertility difficulty, and it is usually the quickest half of the picture to check. Test together, not one after the other.
About this stage
This stage covers the two tests that make up male fertility assessment. A semen analysis reports volume, concentration, motility and morphology, and it is the single most informative test available. A male hormone panel measures total and free testosterone, SHBG, FSH, LH, oestradiol and prolactin, collected in the morning because testosterone is highest then. Both are ordered by an AHPRA-registered doctor and both come back with a plain-English report.
The questions men ask are practical and slightly awkward, which is part of why the test gets put off. Why two to five days of abstinence. Can a GP order this. Where do I go, and what actually happens there. Is 70 per cent motility normal. Is 4 per cent morphology bad. Should I do the hormone panel as well, or only if the semen analysis is abnormal. And the honest one: does this need to happen at all if my partner is the one being tested.
Testing fits early rather than late. A common pattern is that a woman spends a year working through hormone panels, scans and specialist appointments before anyone suggests a semen analysis, which takes days to arrange and returns a clear result. Doing both together at the start halves the time it takes to understand what is going on, and it changes the conversation from one person's problem to a shared one.
Reproductive carrier screening is worth mentioning here too. It is usually done by the woman first, and her partner is tested only if she is found to carry a gene change for cystic fibrosis or spinal muscular atrophy, so most couples need one test between them rather than two. Fragile X is carried on the X chromosome, so for that condition the result depends on the mother alone and a male partner is not screened.
What these tests cannot do is predict conception. A result inside the reference range does not guarantee a pregnancy, and one outside it does not rule one out, which is why a single abnormal result is usually repeated after a few weeks before anything is concluded. Samples are produced at or delivered to the laboratory according to its instructions, and timing is strict because the sample has to be assessed quickly. Self-pay, not Medicare-rebated.
Semen analysis in Australia
Cost, how it works, and how to read the report you get back.
Fertility tests for women in Australia
What the other half of the picture includes, and what it costs.
Preconception blood tests: the checklist
What both of you might check in the months before trying.
Reproductive carrier screening in Australia
Why partners are tested, and what a carrier result means for you both.
Testosterone, SHBG and the free androgen index
How androgen results are read, and why SHBG changes the answer.
Choose your test
Pick the semen analysis, the male hormone panel, or both. Each page lists what is measured, the preparation, and the price before you order.
A doctor requests it
Upload a request a GP or specialist has signed, or answer a short questionnaire and have a KnowLuna doctor review it and request the test.
Collect and understand
Follow the laboratory instructions we send for timing and delivery. Results come back in plain English, with the option of a doctor to talk them through.
Common questions
Why two to five days of abstinence before a semen analysis?
Because both extremes distort the result. Too short an interval lowers volume and concentration, too long a one raises the proportion of older, less motile sperm. Two to five days, within the World Health Organization window of 2 to 7 days, is the usual laboratory recommendation so that your result can be compared against reference values and against a repeat test later.
Can a GP order a semen analysis instead?
Yes, and many do, often with a Medicare rebate when there is a clinical indication. If you have a GP you are comfortable talking to, that is a good route. KnowLuna is for when you would rather organise it yourself, want it done at the same time as your partner's tests, or want the report explained rather than handed over.
What do the numbers on the report mean?
Volume is how much semen was produced, concentration is how many sperm per millilitre, motility is the percentage moving and how well, and morphology is the percentage with a normal shape. Laboratories score these against reference values that are population-based, not pass marks. Ranges vary by laboratory; your report shows the range your lab uses.
Should the hormone panel be done as well, or only if something is abnormal?
Commonly it follows an abnormal semen analysis, or is done from the start where there is low energy, low libido or a known hormonal issue. The two answer different questions: the semen analysis describes the output, the hormone panel looks at the signalling behind it. A doctor advises which order makes sense for you.
Sources and further reading
- World Health Organization: laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen, 6th edition (2021)
- Pathology Tests Explained (RCPA): semen analysis
- Healthdirect: male infertility
- Better Health Channel: androgen deficiency in men
General information only, not medical advice. A blood test is one input to a doctor's assessment, not a diagnosis on its own. If your symptoms are severe or sudden, see a doctor promptly. Read our medical disclaimer.
Test it as one.