Question:medium
What is NOT true with regard to semen analysis?
What is NOT true with regard to semen analysis?
Show Hint
WHO recommends about 2-7 days of abstinence, not 6 weeks, for semen analysis.
Updated On: Jul 8, 2026
- Abstinence for 6 weeks provides the best sample
- Sperm motility is a good indicator of sperm quality
- Collection should be at the site of analysis
- Absence of fructose may indicate a blocked ejaculatory duct or lack of seminal vesicles
Show Solution
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Recall WHO guidance on timing.
The recommended gap before giving a semen sample is short, in the range of about $2$ to $7$ days.
Step 2: See what six weeks does.
Six weeks is well past that window. Holding sperm in the epididymis for so long lets more of them age and die or lose motility, so the sample actually gets worse, not better. That makes the six week claim false, which is the answer we want since the question asks for the one FALSE statement.
Step 3: Confirm motility as a quality marker.
Motility, how well sperm swim forward, is one of the main things checked in a semen analysis because it tracks directly with the chance of natural fertilisation. So this claim is true.
Step 4: Confirm the collection site rule.
Because sperm lose motility quickly once outside the body, the sample should ideally be produced right at the lab, or delivered within a short set time if produced elsewhere. So this claim is true.
Step 5: Confirm the fructose fact.
Fructose is made by the seminal vesicles and is normally present in semen. No fructose points to a blocked ejaculatory duct or absent seminal vesicles. This claim is true too.
Step 6: Conclude.
Only the six week abstinence claim is false.
\[ \boxed{\text{Abstinence for 6 weeks provides the best sample}} \]
The recommended gap before giving a semen sample is short, in the range of about $2$ to $7$ days.
Step 2: See what six weeks does.
Six weeks is well past that window. Holding sperm in the epididymis for so long lets more of them age and die or lose motility, so the sample actually gets worse, not better. That makes the six week claim false, which is the answer we want since the question asks for the one FALSE statement.
Step 3: Confirm motility as a quality marker.
Motility, how well sperm swim forward, is one of the main things checked in a semen analysis because it tracks directly with the chance of natural fertilisation. So this claim is true.
Step 4: Confirm the collection site rule.
Because sperm lose motility quickly once outside the body, the sample should ideally be produced right at the lab, or delivered within a short set time if produced elsewhere. So this claim is true.
Step 5: Confirm the fructose fact.
Fructose is made by the seminal vesicles and is normally present in semen. No fructose points to a blocked ejaculatory duct or absent seminal vesicles. This claim is true too.
Step 6: Conclude.
Only the six week abstinence claim is false.
\[ \boxed{\text{Abstinence for 6 weeks provides the best sample}} \]
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