Sperm count. Light micrograph with graticular screen showing a field of human sperm to be counted during in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Screen lines assist in counting of the sperm. Normal sperm count is about 113 million sperm per millilitre of ejaculate. Patients with a lower count may need to use IVF treatment in order to reproduce. During IVF treatment, male sperm and female eggs are removed and fertilised in culture medium. The resulting embryo is them implanted directly into the female's uterus. Low sperm count or poor quality sperm may be caused by smoking, pesticides, and man-made chemicals that mimic female hormones.