A newly published analysis from PS Fertility is calling attention to a significant shift in how fertility clinics should evaluate male infertility, arguing that traditional diagnostic approaches no longer provide a complete or reliable picture of male reproductive health.
Their latest article, “The Male Fertility Factor: What Fertility Clinics Need to Know About Shifting Diagnostic Trends,” details why standard semen analysis—long considered the cornerstone of male fertility testing—is increasingly inadequate for modern reproductive medicine.
According to the analysis, male factors now contribute to approximately half of all infertility cases, yet diagnostic testing has remained largely unchanged for decades. While semen analysis measures sperm count, motility, and morphology, it does not determine whether sperm are biologically capable of fertilizing an egg—a gap that can lead to misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment.
“The field has relied too heavily on descriptive testing rather than functional testing,” the report notes, emphasizing that many men with “normal” results still face unexplained infertility.
The article highlights a broader movement toward function-focused diagnostics, including DNA fragmentation and emerging epigenetic tests. However, PS Fertility’s review suggests that many of these newer tools remain limited by cost, turnaround time, and inconsistent clinical utility.
Where the analysis is most definitive is in its endorsement of functional sperm testing—particularly PS Fertility’s PS Detect, which measures phosphatidylserine (PS), a biomarker identified in 2019 as essential for fertilization.
The article underscores growing clinical evidence that PS Detect can help fertility clinics:
- Identify hidden male infertility that standard testing misses
- Better predict whether varicocele repair will improve fertility
- Reduce unnecessary fertility treatments
- Shorten time to pregnancy
Varicoceles—which affect more than 40% of infertile men—are a central focus of the piece. The analysis cites research showing that men with low PS Scores who undergo varicocele repair often return to normal PS levels, suggesting a clearer pathway for treatment decisions than has historically been available.
The publication concludes that male-factor infertility should now be treated as a primary, not secondary, consideration in fertility care—and that clinics adopting evidence-based functional testing will be better positioned to serve patients effectively.
The full article is available at psfertility.com.
About PS Fertility
PS Fertility is a biotechnology company advancing clinically meaningful male fertility diagnostics through scientifically validated, functional testing. The company partners with leading fertility clinics and researchers to improve diagnostic accuracy and treatment outcomes for couples worldwide.
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