Report: Male fertility tests may soon be sold at stores

NEW YORK Male fertility tests measuring sperm counts may soon be sold at retail, according to a Reuters Health report published Thursday.

A study published in the February issue of Human Reproduction found that SpermCheck Fertility, which is expected to retail around $25, fielded an accuracy of 96% compared with standard laboratory sperm count methods.

The test measures whether sperm counts are above 20 million per milliliter of semen, which is considered healthy for adult males, or less than 5 million/mL, is indicative of significant infertility and a prompt to consult a doctor.

The device, developed by Charlottesville, Va.-based ContraVac, is expected to launch soon across Europe and has been submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for approval in the United States.

Sperm counts of 20 million per milliliter of semen and above are considered normal. The test will tell a man whether or not his sperm count meets this cutoff, and if it doesn't whether he has a severely low sperm count (below 5 million sperm per milliliter).

"It basically tells the man how deep the infertility is," Herr explained. "If both strips are negative it's important that they then seek medical treatment for the infertility."