What are the similarities between tight underwear, alcohol and hot tubs?
Answer: they all have a negative effective on sperm counts and sperm potency. Drinking, Smoking, lack of exercise, taking drugs, stress, poor nutrition, and of course tight under wears have been proved to decline the quality of sperm. Among the factors that may affect the sperm quality could be summarized in 6 main points. They include sperm mobility, concentration, morphology, speed, count and last but not the least sub fertility. A weakness in any of these areas can affect the chances of conception. Mobility Sperm mobility describes the sperm's ability to move in a rather dynamic and active fashion. In a healthy sperm, more than 50% of them can be accounted as active with over 25% of them moving vehemently in one direction. Its importance can be understood by the fact that it enables the sperm to travel through the cervical canal, into the uterus and the fallopian tubes and, finally, to penetrate the egg. Concentration Concentration is the measure of the number of sperm cells in a ml. of semen. Normal concentration is around 22 million sperm cells per ml. of semen. Morphology A healthy sperm cell resembles a tadpole in its shape. The sperm's oval head contains the genetic material; the center provides energy and the tail thrusts the sperm forward. Furthermore, experts believe that abnormally shaped sperm cannot fertilize an egg. Speed According to the WHO in a healthy male, greater than 25% of sperm will exhibit progressive mobility. It is thought that these are the sperm with the best chance of successfully fertilizing an egg. Count It refers to the number of sperms in the fluid that is ejaculated. There are a good over 50 million sperms in a normal ejaculate. A total count below 40 million may indicate decreased fertility. Sub fertility The term, sub fertility, refers to the couples who are unable to achieve conception even after a years period of unprotected intercourse It is different from infertility. Typical causes of male sub fertility Sperm production problems
Blockages in the sperm's delivery system
Injuries to the testicles
Low or high hormone production
Anatomical problems
Varicocele (varicose veins around the testicle)
Past illnesses/ infections/ various diseases
Certain medications
Sperm quality Statistics # Male factors accumulate for over 40 percent for sub fertility. Female-related factors account for another 40 percent and a combination of male- and female-related factors account for about 20 percent. # 1 out of every dozen couples has sub fertility. |
