low sperm motility

hey..my husband got his semen analysis done today.the results are--
SPERM CONCENTRATION--  42 MILLON

NORMAL SPERM MORPHOLOGY-- 87%

SPERM MOTILITY-- 13%

his sperm motility is just 13% which is very low. He is 36 year old and we are trying for a baby...i am really disturbed seeing the results. Please guide what we should do.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Motility is the percentage of moving sperm in a sample and an evaluation of their rate and direction of travel. At least 50% should be motile one hour after ejaculation and it is 13% in your husband’s case.
Usually in such cases, we do another semen test after four to six weeks to see whether sperm quality has improved on its own. If it persists then we check for any infection. In such cases even with abnormal sperm morphology, motility problems or a low sperm count, pregnancy may still be possible once the infection is treated. So he can become a father but a repeat semen examination after some time after consulting a fertility specialist or urologist is required. If there is any infection, then he will be given appropriate antimicrobials after which your husband’s chances of fathering a child are good.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.