The Role A Father Can Play In Fertility Success

Have you ever wondered how much of a role the father really plays when it comes to the health and success of your pregnancy? We sit down with Matilda Hospital’s Dr Brian Ho to get the inside scoop on sperm.

There’s a whole host of things mothers aren’t supposed to do when growing life: no smoking or drinking alcohol, avoiding sushi, caffeine, rare meat and soft cheeses – all for the sake of giving our baby the best start at life and popping out as healthy as possible. But what about men? We’ve been seeing a trend across male-centred social media about how to improve their day-to-day life in the months before conception to optimise sperm health, and therefore increase the chances of a successful pregnancy. It made us wonder, how much of it is true?

Enter Dr Brian Ho. He answers all our questions and more, so if you’ve been trying to conceive (or you plan to in the near future) and having trouble, read on…

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Is it true that sperm can greatly affect the quality and health of a pregnancy?

Yes, the number and quality (especially the motility of sperm and normal shape) of sperm can affect a couple’s rate of successful pregnancy, although it is not the only factor.

Other elements at play include a history of successful pregnancies, paternal age and female factors (such as endometriosis, previous infection or ectopic pregnancies etc.). That being said, even men with marginally abnormal results in sperm quantity or quality may still be able to have a successful pregnancy.

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What are the most common factors that negatively impact sperm quality and count?

It can be largely divided in lifestyle factors and diseases.

Lifestyle:

• Obesity, smoking, alcohol and a lack of physical activity are all detrimental to sperm quality and counts
• Frequent hot tub use will raise the temperature of the testes (normally, the testes need to be a few degrees cooler than the body temperature to achieve an ideal environment for sperm growth and maturation)
• Constantly wearing tight-fitting underwear or biking shorts may negatively impact sperm quality
• Recreational drugs (including marijuana) and anabolic steroids have a detrimental effect on sperm

Diseases:

• Men with genetic abnormalities (such as Klinefelters, Y-chromosome microdeletions etc.), hormonal disturbances, history of mumps, undescended testes, STIs, chemotherapy or radiation therapy may have severely abnormal semen analysis results
• Varicoceles (dilated veins of the spermatic cord in the scrotum) will increase the temperature of the testes
• Sometimes, men who have had pelvic, groin or hernia surgery may have their vas injured, resulting in reduced or even absent sperm counts

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What can men do to improve sperm health, increase the chances of conception and reduce the risk of premature birth?

Now that lifestyle has been taken into account, here’s what else they can do to give sperm a boost:

• In some cases, men may need supplements to ensure adequate nutrition for sperm growth and maturation (usually containing zinc, selenium, L-carnitine, omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients)
• It’s important to ensure adequate sexual activity when planning for pregnancy. The target is two to three attempts per week, especially the week before and after your expected ovulation period.
• Bear in mind that certain lubricants may have a negative effect on sperm survival and motility, so it may be better to not use them at all, or at least opt for ‘sperm-friendly’ lubricants

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How long before conception should men start making changes? And how quickly can results be seen?

Sperms usually take 60 to 70 days to fully develop in the testes, and another 2 weeks to mature in the epididymis, where they gain mobility and fertilisation capabilities. Therefore, any lifestyle modifications or medical treatments may take 2.5 to 3 months to see changes in semen analysis.

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What can be done to spread more awareness about male infertility?

It would be best to provide information about subfertility – especially the impact of lifestyle choices – to young adults, or even during Sex Ed in secondary school, to improve general awareness. Obviously, more frank and open discussion on the topic will help reduce the social stigma and misconceptions about the condition.

For some men, it may already be too late, but increasingly more couples are seeking pre-marital or pre-pregnancy check-ups. These can usually identify men at risk of or already suffering from abnormal sperm quality and counts, giving them a greater opportunity to explore reproductive options.

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