Men's Fertility: Sperm Health Explained
WHY DOES IT TAKE SO LONG FOR MEN TO REALISE THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN FERTILITY?
Many men are unaware of the huge part that sperm quality plays in healthy conception and time to conception. The connection sometimes isn’t made between what a guy eats, drinks or that his lifestyle can significantly affect sperm quality. Often, seemingly innocent infections that can have NO symptoms, can be involved in not being able to conceive and also in miscarriage.
It can come as a big shock for men to realise their sperm isn’t top quality, often the emphasis is put on the female fertility testing. If there is already a known women’s health condition such as PCOS or adenomyosis, I see so many people leaving their sperm tests until months down the line.
GET TESTED!
There’s no way round it, you’ll need to produce a sample and if you’re local to me (Worthing), it’s often a case of getting it to Brighton at speed to ensure quality of sample. YES, it is worth it! YES, you’ll likely have to take a morning off work!
This is just for the basic test. The NHS test for:
Sperm Count
Sperm Motility
Sperm Mobility
Sperm Morphology
Often, is there is any issues, they could show up here. But not always. This is why I always recommend to my patients they take an advanced sperm check. This would likely include:
Sperm Count
Sperm Motility
Sperm Mobility
Sperm Morphology
DNA Fragmentation
Anti-Sperm Anti bodies
Infection screening
Furthermore, if there are any issues picked up here, other tests such as ultra sound, hormone testing and karyotype testing could be implicated.
WHAT KIND OF THINGS COULD BE PREVENTING CONCEPTION?
Structural Blockages:
Low sperm Count and mobility
DNA Fragmentation issues
Oxidative stress
Infection / Microbiome issues
WHAT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO SPERM QUALITY?
As a male partner you’ll need to be onboard with your share of the work. It’s not just females that need to take supplements and eat well, look after themselves and cut out alcohol and caffeine. It effects Sperm too. Smoking is one of the worst causes of low sperm quality.
If you have an irregular sperm test result, then seek help ASAP. Some basic things you can think about to increase sperm quality are:
Have you physically checked your testicles? Small lumps (that can feel like a little bag of worms), or any aches or discomfort in the testicles can indicate varicocele. In over 40% of men with infertility issues, varicocele can be involved. Many men don’t even realise they are affected by it. Read more on varicocele.
Think about your job, do you sit down all day with no breaks? Are you surrounded by toxic chemicals or do you work in a hot kitchen?
Do you have a phone in your front pocket all day?
Do you cycle a lot for long distances or over exercise? Do you lack doing any exercise?
Are you taking any medications such as anti-depressants? Have you checked with your GP that these are suitable when trying to conceive?
Have you had previous STD’s or any urinary issues?
Are you still drinking alcohol, smoking or drinking a lot of coffee?
Can you honestly say you are eating a healthy, varied diet, hydrating yourself adequately and managing your stress levels well?
Many factors influence sperm quality, so it’s important to get help with a comprehensive plan to improve male fertility which include supplementation, diet and lifestyle changes, exercise, and stress management. If you come to me for acupuncture, I look at all these key areas with you. I can also help guide you on testing and investigations and support should you need it.
Discover more about my integrated approach or book an appointment to discuss your concerns in more depth.