The Healthcare Hustlers love new companies that make healthcare either more convenient or lower costing. Recently, we (with help from our partners) tested YO, an at-home, low-cost male fertility test that analyzes motile sperm concentration - in other words, the number of moving sperm.
The Healthcare Hustlers may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Oh, and FYI — any prices listed are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication. These are subject to change. YO! provided this test at no cost.
Photo from Yo Sperm Test
Why a male infertility test?
Infertility testing and treatment is expensive and is impacting an increasing number of couples. Knowledge is power, so we want to arm ourselves with our current fertility status as much as possible so we can make decisions based on the data, and investigate if any red flags are discovered.
According to LabCorp, one of the largest lab testing companies in the US, “About one-third of [infertility] cases are due to men's problems with fertility, another third are due to women's problems, and the remaining cases are due to a combination of men's and women's infertility issues or have no clear identifiable reasons for infertility.”
Depending on your insurance benefits, a traditional semen analysis with a doctor’s visit and a lab test can cost anywhere from $40 to a few hundred dollars, it also requires at least one in-person visit to a lab.
That’s why we gave YO a shot.
What is YO?
YO claims to be the “only Smartphone based, FDA approved home sperm test that reports motile sperm concentration (how many moving sperm cells in 1 ml of your sample) and shows you a live video of your sperm.”
According to YO, “Other home tests report only concentration and your swimmers could all be dead or not moving and you would get a normal result. With YO you’re testing the swimmers – the ones that can potentially reach an egg.”
How much does it cost?
YO currently costs $59.95-$69.95, and it includes the YO testing device, the testing instruments, and access to the YO software that performs the analysis.
How does YO work?
YO arrives in a neat little box that contains the supplies above, along with a lengthy instruction manual.
At first glance, we felt like we were beginners who landed in an advanced Harry Potter potions class. We read the written instruction manual front to back twice and were positive that this required an actual scientist.
HOWEVER…
Remember when Harry Potter found Snape’s personally-annotated copy of “Advanced Potion Making” and his potion making skills suddenly surpassed Hermione’s? That’s how we felt once we reached step 4 (see the full list below) thanks to the application’s step by step video guide that demoed exactly what to do.
. In summary, there is a ten step process:
Download YO application to phone (from the app store) or computer (from their website)
Watch instructional video
Set up connection between YO device and your computer/phone
Click “Start” on the application to get step-by-step instructions
Collect your sample
Begin the lab magic
Wait 10 minutes
Continue with lab magic
Put slide into YO testing machine
Wait two minutes for the results of the analysis!
Final Thoughts About YO
Despite our initial skepticism about the complexity, we made it from beginning to end in about 30 minutes with no mistakes.
We loved that we could take the test from the privacy of our home at a time that was convenient for both of us.
In this case, the results came back in the normal range, but if they had come back in the low end we would have wanted more details, which would require a doctor’s visit.
YO has helped us feel comfortable in knowing that at least ⅓ of our fertility equation appears to be okay at this point, allowing us to plan based on that knowledge.
Tips
Order the right version of the test based on your device!
Read the instructions, but don’t get overwhelmed. Once you click “Start” on the application, it walks you through step-by-step with very simple language and video demos. Take it one (guided) step at a time!
During the 10 minute wait, take the quiz! You’ll learn tons of fun (and useful) facts about sperm health.
Have you tried YO or another fertility or at-home lab test? Let us know the name and your feedback!
YO! provided this test at no cost to us and hooked us up with a $5 off coupon code: HUSTLERS5. If you’re interested make sure to use that at checkout to save! This post contains affiliate links and The Healthcare Hustlers will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links.