The ability of the sperm to travel through the cervical mucus and to the fallopian tubes is essential. Enough sperm should be able to move quickly enough and in a straight direction to be capable of fertilization. It refers to the number of sperm that are the fastest swimmers and are likely to fertilize the egg. Morphology - Morphology is the size and shape of the sperm. Defects in sperm morphology may impair the swimming strength or the ability of the sperm to penetrate and fertilize an egg.
Many factors can interfere with optimal sperm quality in men.
Varicoceles can impact sperm production and therefore reduce sperm counts. Hypogonadism - Hypogonadism is a condition that results in markedly decreased levels of the hormone testosterone. This deficiency negatively impacts sperm production and therefore sperm count. Anti-sperm antibodies can attach to either the head or the tail of sperm, causing the sperm to stick together or preventing them from penetrating the egg. Thus, the antibodies mainly affect sperm motility and morphology.