A medical laboratory expert has shed light on common misconceptions about male fertility, explaining that ejaculation does not always mean the presence of sperm and outlining key signs used to assess reproductive health.
Speaking during the Wind Down show at Radio Generation on Tuesday, Peter Ngumba clarified that semen and sperm are not the same, warning that many people wrongly assume that the ability to ejaculate automatically means a man is fertile.
He explained that semen is mainly produced by the prostate while sperm cells are formed in the testicles, and the two combine during ejaculation.
“The amount, you’d have 1.5 milliliters of semen. There’s a difference between semen and sperms. Just because you’re ejaculating does not mean you have sperm,” he said.
A semen volume of about 1.5 mL is considered the lower end of the normal range for a single ejaculation under World Health Organization standards. Typical volumes usually range from 1.5 mL to 5.0 mL or more, placing 1.5 mL within normal limits but at the low side.
Ngumba also addressed myths around vasectomy, noting that the procedure does not stop ejaculation. He explained that semen will still be released because it is produced elsewhere in the body, even though sperm may be absent.
“People have a narrative that if you have a vasectomy, you will not feel ejaculation, but the prostate produces semen. Sperms are produced in the testicles. They mix together,” he added.
A vasectomy is a surgical procedure that prevents sperm from mixing with semen, making it a permanent form of birth control. It works by sealing the vas deferens, the tube that carries sperm to the urethra.
The procedure is safe, common, and highly effective in preventing pregnancy, but it does not protect against sexually transmitted infections.
The medical laboratory expert went on to describe how laboratory tests examine semen quality, including its thickness and how it changes after ejaculation. According to him, semen initially appears thick but later becomes watery, a process known as liquefaction.
“Viscosity is, if you have ejaculated outside, you have been able to see what semen looks like, like porridge (uji), and then after some time it becomes watery,” he explained.
Ngumba noted that liquefaction should take less than one hour, warning that delays could signal a health issue. “Liquefaction is the time it takes for this viscous salmon to go into liquid form, which should not take more than 60 minutes. If it’s more than that, then you have a problem,” he said.
He further highlighted sperm count as a key measure of fertility, stating that a single drop of semen should contain millions of sperm cells. Low or absent sperm levels, he said, can point to medical conditions.
“One drop of semen should have more than 5 million sperm. So if you don’t have the sperm completely, that condition is called azuspermia,” he said.
Ngumba explained that having fewer than expected sperm is referred to as oligospermia, while very low levels fall under severe oligospermia. These conditions can make it difficult to conceive.
He outlined several causes of low or absent sperm, including genetic conditions such as Klinefelter syndrome, where a man is born with an extra chromosome.
Hormonal imbalance is another major factor. Ngumba pointed to key hormones produced in the brain and testicles that are needed for sperm production, noting that treatment is possible in some cases.
“If you do not have FSH… you will not be able to produce sperms… that can be rectified, because we can give you injections of FSH and LH,” he said.
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a hormone that plays an important role in sexual development and reproduction by affecting the function of the ovaries and testes. It works alongside luteinizing hormone (LH).
It is produced and released by the pituitary gland and is important for sexual development and reproduction. It helps regulate how the ovaries and testicles function.
In conclusion, Ngumba also warned that untreated sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea and chlamydia can affect fertility if they spread to the testicles.
“There’s also STDs… if it goes all the way to your testicle, you will still have problems. You have to be treated fast,” he cautioned.
Ngumba concluded by sttaing that the body’s immune system can sometimes affect sperm cells, noting that sperm are treated differently by the body compared to other cells.
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