6 hours Ago By Troy de Ruyter
West Aussie men are the first in the world to be able to check out how fertile they are — from the comfort of their own home. From Friday, blokes in WA can rock up to Pharmacy 777 and buy the kit — which costs $149 — and do the test. It is the first time anywhere in the world that a laboratory-grade male fertility test has been made available on the shelf.
Founder and chief executive of Sapyen, which makes the kits, Ashwin Ramachandran said the company was on a mission to make male fertility health more accessible and hassle free. “We wanted to make something akin to the pregnancy test kit, something that is safe, convenient and able to be used in the privacy of your own home,” he said. “We’re trying to help men take the anxiety out of the traditional in-clinic process and make life easier for them.
” Sapyen’s world-first sperm stabilisation fluid, known as SPX72, is the breakthrough technology that enables a convenient home-based test. The company claims it has proven to be 135 per cent more accurate than any other competing product. Mr Ramachandran said it meant men could collect their own sperm sample and mail it to Sapyen’s laboratory for analysis.
And because it replicates the conditions of the female reproductive tract, sperm samples lasted up to 72 hours, meaning men in rural and remote areas could also use it. Sperm samples mostly only last an hour. Sapyen, which was in October voted most innovative company in the health industry at the annual BOSS awards, has entered into a partnership with WA-based Pharmacy 777 to get the product on shelves.
“The association with Pharmacy 777 allows us greater reach with people who want to walk in and grab a test-kit off the shelf and keep their privacy intact,” Mr Ramachandran said. Pharmacy 777 spokesman Adrian Fulco said the company was excited to be onboard with an innovative approach to men’s health. “We’re all about serving the needs of our community and delivering positive health outcomes to our patients, we’re proud to be partnering with Sapyen on a new journey to provide accessible and timely male fertility testing,” he said.
The sperm fertility test-kit is available now from the more than 70 Pharmacy 777 locations across WA..
