A semen analysis is not a pass or fail
The WHO manual that publishes the numbers says so itself, in one sentence.
The reference values everybody quotes come from the sixth edition of the WHO laboratory manual. They are the fifth centile of results from more than 3,500 men across twelve countries whose partners conceived naturally within a year.
| Measure | Fifth centile | Median in the same men |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | 1.4 mL | 3.0 mL |
| Concentration | 16 million per mL | 66 million per mL |
| Total count | 39 million per ejaculate | 210 million |
| Total motility | 42% | 64% |
| Progressive motility | 30% | 55% |
| Normal forms | 4% | 14% |
The lower fifth percentile of data from men in the reference population (Table 8.3) does not represent a limit between fertile and infertile men.
And, from the same manual:
For an individual patient, a semen analysis is never prognostic of fertility, as it is the fertility potential of the couple that defines them as fertile or subfertile.
The manual explains why in plain terms. Some couples conceive naturally within a year despite problems in the ejaculate. Other men with entirely normal results are classed as infertile because the difficulty is elsewhere. There is, in the manual's words, a substantial overlap of semen examination results between fertile and infertile men.
A result just below the fifth centile means you are in the lowest 5% of a group of men who all became fathers. That is a reason to look further. It is not a diagnosis, and it is certainly not a verdict.