What does sperm sample collection look like?

It's not uncommon for men to feel uncomfortable or embarassed about collecting a sperm sample. But being in a medical environment does not necessarily mean you won't have the privacy you would normally need for such an intimate act, on the contrary. At our clinic we do our best to make sure you're not under pressure and that you have enough time.

Remember that you’re not the only one

Because the amount of couples struggling to conceive is growing, sperm sample collection is becoming more common, and it is no longer shrouded in myth.  Semen collection, whether for IVF, sperm donation, freezing or routine fertility testing (spermiogram), happens at clinics 365 days a year. So before you provide a sperm sample, remember that the clinic staff is not going to see anything they haven’t seen before, and that they work with this material every day as professionals.

Sperm collection is truly very common, and men provide sperm samples at our clinic every day – some want to freeze  their sperm preventively or donate it, while others do it for a spermiogram due to repeated failures to conceive a child.

It’s best to collect the sperm sample at the clinic

Although we know you would prefer to fill that dreaded cup at home, which some clinics allow, we insist that the sample be collected in the sampling room at our clinic – this guarantees the best sample quality. We know this is not the most pleasant thing to do, but we do our best to make the conditions in this room as suitable as possible for sperm collection – this is a private room where you can be with your partner, or use visual help with “men’s” magazines or videos on the TV. You can be inside as long as you need, and none of the staff will disturb you during this time.

Rules for “filling the cup”

Since sperm collection is only performed “surgically” in rare cases, the method you will most likely use is masturbation. Before the sample collection, you need to comply with a few rules: Abstain sexually for 3 days before the collection, have clean hands and only ejaculate into the sterile container that you will receive for this purpose. If you are wondering how much of the “stuff” we need, we assure you that there is no need to fill the whole cup, it is normal to only have it cover the bottom.

There is no need to blush

Once you’ve succeeded, you will place the cup in a window that can be closed from both sides, so everything is very discreet and there is no reason to feel embarrased. What happens with the sample next? That depends what purpose we collected the sample for. We usually perform a spermiogram that assessed the quality of the sperm, and then the sperm can be frozen, used for fertilization, or destroyed. But whatever the reason for the sample collection, it is a painless and simple method, where the worst thing you may experience is initial embarrassment.