Optimizing Sperm Health During Fertility Treatment

Male factor infertility accounts for one-third of infertility cases amongst couples, while another one-third of cases are often due to both male and female infertility issues. 

At Nova IVF, we recognize the importance of testing both partners pursuing fertility treatment to ensure we can try and figure out the root cause behind their infertility diagnosis. It’s not always possible to figure out the exact reason, but by thoroughly examining both partners, we can help eliminate some potential concerns. 

The most common causes of male infertility include low sperm levels, poor sperm motility, abnormally shaped sperm, blocked tubes, hormone imbalances, varicocele, and injured testicles. While it often requires medical intervention for many of these causes, it’s important to note that there are some things you can do to increase sperm health while pursuing fertility treatment to help better your odds. 

Optimizing Sperm Health During Fertility Treatment

Eliminate Tobacco Use

Tobacco use and smoking significantly affect fertility for both men and women. For men studies have shown that men who smoke have noticeably lower sperm volumes, sperm counts, and percentage of motile sperm than non-smokers.

Our best advice here is to quit smoking to help increase male fertility. Secondhand smoke is also detrimental to fertility in both men and women, so it’s a great time for both partners to consider quitting.

Eat More Nutritious Meals and Snacks

While going through fertility treatment, we recommend eating more whole foods and antioxidants. Getting more fruits and veggies in your diet is a great way to start implementing a more wholesome diet. 

Many processed foods you eat have several preservatives that can negatively impact fertility, so reducing your intake of those foods can also be beneficial to sperm health. 

Stay Physically Active

Weight and physical activity can impact sperm health, so it's important to keep both in mind when undergoing fertility treatment. Spending at least 30 minutes a day doing moderate activity can offer great advantages to your overall health and potentially improve sperm health. 

Spending 30 minutes a day walking, riding a bike, or hitting the gym can also help lower your BMI and increase the success rates of fertility treatments you pursue with your partner. 

Learning More About Male Fertility

Many of the lifestyle changes listed above can help increase a man’s fertility potential and help with sperm health, but it’s important to get evaluated by a fertility specialist to see the whole picture. 

We recommend scheduling an initial consultation to discuss any concerns. During that appointment, the doctor will get a full medical history from the patient and do a quick physical exam. 

In addition to the physical exam, the patient will most likely be asked to provide a semen analysis. This non-invasive diagnostic test can give the doctor a lot of information on the parameters of the sperm’s health. The semen analysis allows for a better look at sperm quality through sperm count and sperm motility and morphology.

All of this information can help determine the right treatment path for any male factor fertility issues and help lead to greater success through treatment.