What semen analysis parameter defines azoospermia?

• A. Absence of measurable sperm in the ejaculate
• B. Low sperm motility
• C. Low sperm count but measurable
• D. Abnormal sperm morphology

Answer: (A)

Azoospermia means no measurable sperm in the ejaculate on semen analysis. A standard semen analysis looks at sperm concentration, motility, and morphology; if none are detected, that defines azoospermia. The other terms describe different abnormalities: a very low count with some sperm present is oligospermia; poor motility is asthenozoospermia; and abnormal shape is teratozoospermia. In some cases, a tiny number of sperm can be found only after special processing, but the key feature defining azoospermia is zero detectable sperm in the ejaculate.