Use your smartphone to size up your sperm!
Smartphones are useful for all sorts of things. They can remind you of important appointments, provide you with a place to work on the go, give you access to information, and so much more. They can even be used as heart rate trackers, fitness trackers, sleep trackers, and calorie trackers—tracking everything to monitor your health.
Here’s a new one: a sperm tracker. Your smartphone may be the tool to help you analyze the health of your sperm.
Don’t get all creeped out with the mental image of how that’s going to work! It’s really not like you think. Researchers have developed a device that connects to your phone’s data port to connect a semen sample analyzer with an app on your phone.
How does it work?
The device is a disposable rubberized microchip that is designed to contain your semen samples. Once you collect the sample, the microchip is inserted into an attachment that then connects it to your smartphone. The microchip stores the sample so there’s no risk of anything coming in contact with your phone. The app on your smartphone scans the sample, analyzes it, and even captures a video of it. The app then provides you with an analysis of the sample, giving you details on the concentrations and motility of your sperm.
READ MORE: 10 Foods for Higher Sperm Count
How accurate is the device? Until now, the tests have shown it to have a 98% accuracy. Given the high scientific standards for measuring accuracy, that’s VERY good indeed. So far only a prototype has been developed. However, once the device is FDA-approved, manufacture of the device would begin in earnest. Within 2-5 years, the market could be flooded with devices capable of testing semen samples at home. All you’ll need is the device and your smartphone!
Why would anyone want to use this app and device? Simple: men who are worried about their reproductive health can get answers without needing to visit their doctor. All they have to do is purchase the device, download the app, and collect the sample. The app will analyze the sample and deliver accurate results on their reproductive health. The men will be able to know if their sperm concentration and motility is sufficient to have a baby. If the app detects low sperm count or movement, men will know they need to undergo fertility treatments. At the very least, they can visit a doctor to find out more.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, more than 45 million couples struggle with infertility around the world. Roughly 1 in every 6 American couples have problems conceiving as well. Male fertility problems are responsible in 20% of the cases, while an additional 40% involve both male and female fertility problems. Your low sperm concentration or motility could be one of the main reasons you are having a hard time getting pregnant.
Right now, the methods for measuring male fertility are pricey and time-consuming. Sometimes even embarrassing. Men have to go to a clinic to donate a sperm sample, which then undergoes a wide range of tests. Some men even undergo a prostate exam to analyze their health.
With these new sperm analyzer, you can check your reproductive health at home, on your own. No one else needs to be involved in the process, so there is a very low chance of awkward experiences. You won’t need to visit your urologist—simply use your smartphone to test your sperm health and find out why you’re having trouble conceiving.
