Researchers at Birmingham University have developed a simple fertility test that men can do in their own homes. It will be available in the high street, across the UK, from January 9 2006.

Produced through the company Fertell, the test recreates the conditions in which sperm have to perform inside a woman's body. A sperm sample is taken and forced to swim through an artificial cervical mucus which mimics the female cervix. The test counts the number of sperm which successfully pass through ('motile sperm') and measures this against the standard 'normal' sperm count (as set by the World Health Organisation): 10 million sperm per ml of semen. The kit takes less than two hours to provide a result and tests have proved to be 95% accurate.

The chemist store Boots will be selling the product from January 9 and it is also available via Boots online. Although major fertility concerns should always be discussed with a GP, this discreet test is seen as a positive new route for couples wanting a more clear idea of their fertility status as early as possible when trying for a baby.

Over recent years, many things have been blamed for increasing the instance of male infertility from trying for a family later in life and mercury found in seafood, to traffic fumes and mobile phones.

For more on the research and development of the product, visit the Birmingham University website.