A recent study published in Scientific Reports investigates the accuracy of a novel artificial intelligence (AI) screening method for male infertility based on serum hormone levels. Study: A new model for determining risk of male infertility from serum hormone levels, without semen analysis. Image Credit: Lightspring / Shutterstock.
com Semen analysis Infertility affects about 9% of the global population, which amounts to about 72.4 million men and women. Male infertility, which is responsible for 50% of all infertility cases, is diagnosed through semen analysis with hormonal assays.
Semen analysis provides important information on sperm production and maturation in the testes, the patency of the seminal passages, and the secretory profile of glandular cells in the testes. The World Health Organization (WHO) Laboratory Manual for the Examination and Processing of Human Semen defines standards for the analysis of semen parameters. There are several limitations associated with conventional semen analytical approaches.
Sample collection, for example, remains a challenge, as many men worldwide are unwilling to get tested due to social stigma. Furthermore, the manual inspection aspect of sperm analysis is labor intensive and requires skilled individuals. Thus, alternative screening methods for male infertility are urgently needed.
Hormones and sperm production Normal spermatogenesis depends on testicular and endocrine function, beginning with the hypothalamo-pituitary-testicular ax.