What is the role of sperm motility in fertility?

• A. Sperm motility is crucial for successful fertilization.
• B. Motility affects only estrogen levels.
• C. Motility determines egg quality.
• D. Motility is not important for fertilization.

Answer: (A)

Sperm motility is essential for fertilization because the sperm must swim actively to reach and penetrate the oocyte. After ejaculation, they need to traverse the cervical mucus, move through the uterus, and arrive at the fallopian tube where fertilization occurs. If the sperm’s movement is poor, only a small fraction will reach the egg, so the chance of fertilization drops substantially. This is why motility is a primary parameter in semen analysis and a key factor in natural conception.

Motility does not directly control estrogen levels or egg quality. Those are female-side factors. Even with excellent egg quality, poor sperm motility can prevent fertilization; conversely, good motility improves the likelihood of fertilization, though other factors also influence the outcome and may lead to assisted reproductive options if motility is inadequate.