CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. — SpermCheck Fertility, an at-home test to measure sperm count, has become available on Walgreens.com and CVS.com and is slated to soon become available in stores.
The company said Tuesday that to support the SpermCheck Fertility product launch, it plans a digital advertising and social media campaign to connect directly with consumers and influencers where they are searching and conversing about the topic of male fertility.
Carrying a suggested retail price of $39.99, SpermCheck Fertility will be available in stores nationwide in April, according to the company.
SpermCheck Fertility is billed as the only Food and Drug Administration-approved, at-home screening test for men to measure normal or low sperm count without having to go to a dcotor or lab to provide a semen sample.
"SpermCheck Fertility is noninvasive and can help couples eliminate or identify one potential stumbling block to conception," stated Ray Lopez, chief executive officer of SpermCheck, which also makes a home test for post-vasectomy screening.
"Men have historically avoided this type of semen analysis because it can be embarrassing and inconvenient for them to go to a physician or lab for this type of test, yet approximately 50% of all infertility problems are directly attributed to the male, and most of them are mainly due to low sperm count," explained Lopez. "With such high incidence of fertility issues, coupled with low incidence of male testing, we saw a great opportunity to provide couples with an at-home test that can provide information that is crucial for conception preparation, yet takes the stigma out of the test, since it is done in the privacy of their own home."
In 10 minutes, SpermCheck Fertility indicates if sperm count is within "normal" range (at or above 20 million sperm per milliliter, which is the accepted standard for normal sperm count) or low, which would indicate that a visit to the physician for further analysis of the man is in order.
"It’s more than 98% accurate — as reliable as a lab test — yet much more convenient and at much less cost than a visit to the doctor," added Lopez. "It also alleviates the embarrassment and inconvenience of providing a semen sample to a doctor or nurse in a lab setting."
The test was developed by Dr. John Herr, director of the Center of Cell Biology at the University of Virginia, who remains involved with SpermCheck as chief scientific officer and chairman.
"This at-home test was created to meet the needs of couples who are considering and just planning on starting a family, those currently having trouble conceiving and even those men who are just curious about their sperm count," stated Herr.
