In the UK you can get a sperm test (semen analysis) three ways. On the NHS, you see your GP, who refers you to a hospital andrology lab; NICE guidance says couples who haven't conceived after a year of regular unprotected sex should both be offered tests, and sooner if the woman is 36 or over or either partner has a known risk. Privately, a clinic semen analysis costs about £189 to £205 at the clinics we checked, or around £300 to £390 bundled with a report or consultation. At home, kits cost from £39 for a count-only strip to £94.99 for a two-test device that also measures motility. Whichever route you take, abstain from ejaculation for 2 to 7 days beforehand, keep the sample at body temperature and get it to the lab within 30 to 50 minutes. If a result is abnormal, NICE recommends a repeat test, ideally three months later.
When to get tested
The NHS advises seeing a GP if you haven't conceived after a year of trying through regular unprotected sex. NICE's 2026 guideline (NG257) says that at that point both partners should be offered clinical assessment and investigation, and a semen analysis is part of the first round for the man. You don't need to wait a year if:
- your partner is 36 or over, in which case NICE recommends referral for a specialist consultation straight away, or
- either of you has a known or suspected cause of infertility or a history of things that can affect it. Tell your GP about anything relevant, such as past testicular problems or surgery, cancer treatment, or testosterone or steroid use (see the testosterone guide).
You can also get a test privately at any time, with no referral, if you'd rather know your starting point now.
The NHS route, step by step
- See your GP. Explain how long you've been trying. The GP will usually ask about your health and history and may examine you.
- Referral. The GP refers you to a hospital andrology or reproductive medicine lab, usually through the NHS e-Referral Service. Several NHS labs, including Saint Mary's in Manchester and the Hewitt Fertility Centre in Liverpool, take semen analysis referrals this way.
- Book an appointment. You then book with the lab directly, online or by phone. Waits vary by area; Cambridge University Hospitals says there may be a wait of up to four weeks.
- Prepare. The lab sends instructions. Expect to abstain from ejaculation for 2 to 7 days (Manchester says 3 or 4 days is best; Leeds asks for 3 to 5).
- Produce the sample. Most labs have a private room on site. Some allow you to produce at home if you can deliver quickly: Manchester and Liverpool ask for delivery within 50 minutes, Cambridge allows home samples only if you live within 30 minutes' travel and bring the sample straight in, and some labs, including Leeds, have you produce the sample on site.
- Results. Results go to the doctor who referred you. One NHS lab guide for GPs in Coventry and Rugby gives 21 working days for results. Reports compare your numbers with the WHO 2021 reference values.
- Repeat if needed. If the first result is abnormal, NICE recommends a repeat confirmatory test, ideally three months later, or as soon as possible if no sperm or very few were found. Labs often ask for a repeat; Cambridge says "it is not unusual for us to request a repeat analysis".
Private clinics
Private clinics test to the same WHO standards, usually faster and with the option of booking directly. Prices below are what each provider's own site listed when we checked on 11 September 2026. Check before booking, because prices change.
| Provider | Semen analysis | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fertility Solutions (London and Beaconsfield) | £189 | Conducted to WHO standards; sperm DNA fragmentation testing from £350 |
| CREATE Fertility | £195 | Only available alongside an initial scan and consultation; asks for 2 to 5 days of abstinence |
| TFP Fertility | £205 | Follow-up consultation £265 |
| Bourn Hall | £300 | Package with a nutrition consultation and a doctor-written report |
| Andrology Solutions (London) | £390 with consultation | One-hour consultation alone £250 |
A basic analysis covers volume, concentration, total count, motility and morphology. Extras like DNA fragmentation testing cost more, and NICE's 2026 guideline recommends against routine sperm DNA fragmentation testing. If you go private, keep the full report: an NHS GP can use it, and so can the semen analysis checker.
Home tests
Home tests are convenient and private, and useful as a before-and-after around a change, but they measure less than a lab and aren't a substitute for a clinical semen analysis if you're being investigated. Prices from each company's UK site, checked 11 September 2026 (Malebox added and checked 30 September 2026; ExSeed re-checked 5 October 2026). ExSeed's link and code MOTILY are affiliate: Motily earns a commission if you buy through either, at no extra cost to you, and neither changes what we say about the test:
| Test | Price | What it measures | How it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpermCheck | £39 for one, £58 for two | Concentration only (whether above 20 million per mL) | Strip test at home; CE-marked and FDA-cleared |
| ExSeed (affiliate link) Code MOTILY: 10% off (affiliate code, not valid on subscriptions; how the code works). | £94.99 for two tests | Volume, concentration, motility and total motile sperm count | Phone-connected device at home; CE-certified |
| Malebox Health | £180, or £240 with a video consultation | Volume, count, concentration, progressive, non-progressive and total motility, vitality and morphology (a full laboratory analysis) | Mail-in kit; the sample goes to a UK lab and a written report comes back within 24 hours of receipt, read by an HCPC-registered andrologist |
The at-home devices don't measure morphology; only a laboratory analysis does, which is what a mail-in kit like Malebox buys you at a higher price. Mojo, another UK mail-in lab test, wasn't available to buy from its own site when we checked. The at-home test comparison covers more kits, including US-only ones, with sources for every figure; we make Motily, and the only affiliate arrangement is the ExSeed link and code disclosed above.
How to prepare so the result is accurate
Most of what goes wrong with a semen analysis happens before the sample reaches the microscope. The WHO manual and NHS lab instructions agree on the basics:
- Abstain for 2 to 7 days. Not less than two, not more than seven. Aim for the middle, around 3 or 4 days, unless your lab says otherwise.
- Collect the whole sample. The first part of the ejaculate carries the most sperm, so tell the lab if any was spilled.
- Use the lab's pot. Ordinary condoms and lubricants can harm sperm; use only what the lab provides.
- Keep it warm. Between 20 and 37 °C. Carry the pot in an inside pocket, close to your body, as NHS labs advise.
- Get it there fast. Within 50 minutes at most, 30 if you can, because motility falls with time.
- Mention recent illness. The WHO manual notes that a recent illness, particularly one with a fever, can affect results, and some labs ask about it. Tell them either way.
The motility guide explains why the handling matters so much for that number in particular.
Understanding your results
Your report will list each measure against the WHO 2021 lower reference limit: 1.4 mL volume, 16 million per mL concentration, 39 million total, 42% total motility, 30% progressive motility and 4% normal forms. The semen analysis guide walks through every line, and the checker does the comparison for you. A number below a limit is a reason to repeat the test, not a diagnosis; the limits are the 5th centile of fertile men.
If your result comes back low
First, a repeat. NICE recommends a confirmatory test ideally three months after the first, which is also about how long new sperm take to form. That makes the gap useful: it is enough time for changes to smoking, weight, alcohol, heat and sleep to show up in the second sample (the main guide ranks them by evidence, and the 74-day timeline tool gives you the earliest useful retest date). If no sperm or very few were found, NICE says repeat as soon as possible rather than waiting.
If the repeat is also abnormal, your GP or the fertility clinic can refer you to a urologist or andrologist for examination and further tests, such as hormone levels. The retest guide covers the timing in more detail.
What to do
- Trying for a year, or your partner is 36 or over? Book a GP appointment and ask for a semen analysis referral.
- Want to know sooner? A private clinic analysis costs about £190 to £205, and several clinics need no referral.
- Follow the preparation rules exactly: 2 to 7 days of abstinence, the lab's pot, warm and fast.
- Keep the full report and compare it with the WHO limits using the checker.
- If anything is low, use the next three months well, then retest.
- Testing at home? The 74-day kit page sets out a two-test plan: one test now, the second from day 74.
Common questions
Can I get a free sperm test on the NHS?
Yes, through your GP, usually once you've been trying for a year, or sooner if your partner is 36 or over or there is a known risk. The GP refers you to an NHS lab and the test is free. Local eligibility and waiting times vary.
How much does a private sperm test cost in the UK?
About £189 to £205 for a semen analysis at the clinics we checked in September 2026 (CREATE's only as part of a consultation package), and around £300 to £390 when bundled with a report or consultation. Home kits cost £39 to £94.99 but measure less.
How long do sperm test results take?
Private clinics often give results within days. NHS results go back to your GP and can take a few weeks; one NHS lab guide gives 21 working days. Home devices give a reading within minutes.
Are home sperm tests accurate?
They are useful for tracking concentration and, in some kits, motility, but they don't measure morphology and can't replace a clinical semen analysis if you're being investigated. Use them for before-and-after comparisons around a change.
Related guides
Sources
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Fertility problems: assessment and treatment (NG257). 2026.
- NHS. Infertility: diagnosis.
- NHS. Infertility.
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Saint Mary's Hospital. Diagnostic semen analysis.
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Diagnostic semen analysis: information for patients.
- Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust, Hewitt Fertility Centre. I am interested in having a semen analysis.
- Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Semen analysis.
- Coventry and Rugby GP Gateway, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire andrology service. Fertility: seminal fluid analysis (SFA).
- World Health Organization. WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen, sixth edition. 2021.
- Fertility Solutions. Price list. Checked 11 September 2026.
- CREATE Fertility. Semen analysis. Checked 11 September 2026.
- TFP Fertility. Fertility tests for men. Checked 11 September 2026.
- Bourn Hall. Sperm test. Checked 11 September 2026.
- Andrology Solutions. Consultation. Checked 11 September 2026.
- SpermCheck. SpermCheck Fertility UK. Checked 11 September 2026.
- ExSeed Health. ExSeed home sperm test kit. Checked 11 September 2026, re-checked 5 October 2026.
- Malebox Health. At-home sperm test with consultation. Checked 30 September 2026.
Correction, 8 October 2026. Cambridge's 30 minutes is how far you may live from the lab to produce at home, not a delivery deadline. A line saying Motily takes no affiliate fees contradicted the ExSeed disclosure on the same page and now names it.
