Sperm Count is one of the most important characteristics in male fertility. Research shows that in more than half of infertility issues in couples, low sperm count is the cause. According to the World Health Organization, sperm count of more than 15 million sperms per milliliters in considered normal. In semen analysis which is a test for sperm quality to find the underlying cause of male infertility, the following parameters are measured: sperm count, sperm motility, sperm morphology, volume, fructose level and pH.

What determines sperm health?

Sperm health depends on various factors, including quantity, movement and structure:

• Quantity. You're most likely to be fertile if your ejaculate — the semen discharged in a single ejaculation — contains at least 15 million sperm per milliliter. Too little sperm in an ejaculate might make it more difficult to get pregnant because there are fewer candidates available to fertilize the egg.
• Movement. To reach and fertilize an egg, sperm must move — wriggling and swimming through a woman's cervix, uterus and fallopian tubes. This is known as motility. You're most likely to be fertile if at least 40 percent of your sperm are moving.
• Structure (morphology). Normal sperm have oval heads and long tails, which work together to propel them forward. While not as important a factor as sperm quantity or movement, the more sperm you have with a normal shape and structure, the more likely you are to be fertile.

Before beginning a cycle of IVF in Ukraine using your own eggs and sperm or an egg donor eggs and husband's sperm, you and/or your partner will need various screenings, including:

• Ovarian reserve testing. To determine the quantity and quality of your eggs (or egg donor eggs), your doctor might test the concentration of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (estrogen) and antimullerian hormone in your blood during the first few days of your menstrual cycle. Test results, often used together with an ultrasound of your ovaries, can help predict how your ovaries will respond to fertility medication.
• Infectious disease screening. You and your partner will both be screened for infectious diseases, including HIV.
• Uterine cavity exam. Your doctor will examine your uterine cavity before you start IVF. This might involve a sonohysterography — in which fluid is injected through the cervix into your uterus — and an ultrasound to create images of your uterine cavity. Or it might include a hysteroscopy — in which a thin, flexible, lighted telescope (hysteroscope) is inserted through your vagina and cervix into your uterus.
• Semen analysis. If not done as part of your initial fertility evaluation, your doctor will conduct a semen analysis shortly before the start of an IVF treatment cycle.

Women exposed to high levels of passive smoking have an increased risk of experiencing infertility, according to research. The study of 88,732 postmenopausal women found that those who were active smokers were 14 percent more likely to have problems conceiving.

However, similar observations were also made for women who had never smoked but reported prolonged exposure (more than 10–20 years) to secondhand smoke at high levels. These women were 18 percent more likely to experience problems conceiving than women who had never been exposed to secondhand smoke.