I would like to address men who are experiencing semen quality issues and are preparing for IVF or IUI treatment. One important parameter to pay attention to in your semen analysis is sperm motility.
Sperm motility is commonly classified into four categories:
- Rapid (fast) progressive
- Slow (sluggish) progressive
- Non-progressive
- Immotile
Among these, rapid progressive sperm are the ones most capable of moving efficiently through the female reproductive tract toward the egg.
Many laboratories report only the total progressive motility without separating it into rapid and slow progressive categories. However, progressive motility is the combined total of both fast and slow progressive sperm, with a reference value of at least 32%.
In my opinion, rapid progressive motility should be around 30% or higher to optimize the chances of natural conception. Therefore, when reviewing a semen analysis report, it is helpful to know not only the total progressive motility but also the percentages of fast and slow progressive sperm.
