Abstract

Hypospermia is a condition in which a man has an unusually low ejaculate (or semen) volume, less than 1.5 ml. It is the logical opposite of hyperspermia. It should not be confused with oligospermia, which means low sperm count.

Normal ejaculate when a man is not drained from prior sex and is suitably aroused, is around 1.5-6 ml, although this varies greatly with mood, physical condition and sexual activity. Of this, around 1% by volume is sperm cells. Hypospermia would only usually be a factor in infertility if the two conditions (hypospermia and oligospermia) are combined. The U.S. based National Institutes of Health defines hypospermia as a semen volume lower than 2 mL on at least two semen analyses.

The presence of high levels of fructose (a sugar) is normal in the semen and this comes almost entirely from the seminal vesicle. The seminal vesicles, major contributors to ejaculate volume, render semen pH basic. Thus, low fructose may indicate problems in the prostatic pathway, while low semen pH may indicate problems related to the seminal vesicles. Obstruction of the seminal vesicles result in low semen volumes since they normally produce 70% of the seminal plasma.