Frequently asked questions

Are home sperm tests accurate?

Sperm testing

All

Legacy’s semen analysis kit has been clinically validated. Our research team has compared the results of our kit to a conventional, in-person semen analysis and found no significant difference. There is likely to be a slight decline in sperm motility when using mail-in kits because of time spent in transit.

What parameters does Legacy’s at-home sperm analysis test for?

Sperm testing

All

Legacy’s at-home sperm analysis is a clinic-grade semen analysis without the clinic. It looks at all the key metrics of sperm health, including semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, total motile sperm count, sperm morphology, and sperm DNA fragmentation.

Many at-home sperm testing options don’t look at sperm motility, morphology, or DNA fragmentation, which are important parameters. We’re also the only at-home sperm freezing option that includes a post-thaw analysis, in which we freeze and thaw a small portion of your sample to assess if it’s a good candidate for cryopreservation (sperm freezing).

Basic Semen Analysis looks at count/concentration and motility

Standard Semen Analysis looks at count/concentration, motility, and morphology

Advanced Semen Analysis looks at count/concentration, motility, morphology, and sperm DNA fragmentation

How does Legacy analyze sperm?

Sperm testing

All

Once your kit arrives at the lab, your sample will be opened and labeled. The lab scientists will replenish the sperm transport media to ensure the health of the sperm is maintained during analysis.

Next, the sample will be spun in a piece of lab equipment called a centrifuge to separate the sperm from the semen. Once sperm is concentrated, the lab scientists load a slide containing a portion of the sample into the computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) system. This will report on sperm count, concentration, and motility (the percentage of sperm that are moving or "swimming"). Sperm morphology, the size and shape of sperm, is evaluated manually by an andrology scientist with a high-powered microscope.

If you choose to complete sperm DNA fragmentation analysis, that's performed using the Halosperm sperm chromatin dispersion technique. In this technique, a small portion of your sample is exposed to chemicals that denature, or separate, the strands of DNA in your sperm. This allows the lab scientists to assess which sperm contain broken or damaged DNA that could contribute to issues getting or staying pregnant.

How do sperm stay alive during overnight shipping?

Process & kit components

All

Legacy’s kit includes a sperm transport liquid that, when mixed with your semen sample, keeps sperm alive and healthy during shipment to our lab for testing.

What's the process step-by-step?

Process & kit components

All

Order a sample collection kit via givelegacy.com. We'll ship it to your home.
Collect the sample at home following the instructions with your kit.
Ship the kit back to our lab with the included overnight shipping.
Our lab will analyze your sample. Test results are sent securely to your online client dashboard within 48 hours.
We can freeze your sample if you choose.
We send your sample to long-term storage. Our flexible, renewable storage plans range from 1 to 25 years.

See more details on how sperm testing and freezing with Legacy works.

‍

What’s included with an at-home sperm testing or sperm freezing kit?

Process & kit components

All

The Legacy kit includes:‍

A sterile sample cup to easily collect your sample from home
The Legacy “vault,” an insulated zippered container that maintains a stable temperature during transportation
The sperm transport liquid — a vial of pink fluid — to keep sample viable during shipping
A security padlock to seal the vault (plus an extra, just in case)Free overnight shipping to send your sample to our lab for analysis

The Standard & Advanced Semen Analysis options also include lifetime access to our Insights dashboard, including your Sperm Score and a comparison of your metrics against thousands of clients your age.

Frequently asked questions

Don’t leave family to chance.