is the sperm count important

[faye38]

my dh hubby went to the doctors and got his results the doc said there was nothing to worry about and that he cant see why im not pregnant but he said that he had 1% normall and 99% abnormall but the motility was 50% im really confussed with what the doc said! to me 1% normall isnt right i think thats a problem what do you ladys think

 

[Loula]

that doesn't sound right to me either 1% normal - do you have a print out of the full count to put up for us hon?

 

[FJL]

1% normal would be the morphology. This is how the sperm is shaped. My specialist described it to us like this "its a bit like a beauty contest, the egg is very picky and will only allow 'good looking' sperm in".

If the motility is 50% then it is at the low end of the 'normal' scale.

I hope I don't scare you but I would DEFINITELY be seeing a specialist. If you don't feel you're ready for that then there is a suppliment out called 'menevit' which is full of important sperm repairing anti oxidants and it has had a lot of success.

A specialist (eg at an IVF clinic) would organise another sperm analysis where they do the usual sperm count, motility, morphology etc but they also wash and spin the sperm and check for DNA fragmentation (damage).

If DH has only had 1 test, then be sure to get at least 1 more test done. How long did he abstain for? My specialist (who also specialises in male factor infertility) said to abstain no longer than 3 days, any longer and it can give an inaccurate reading.

GP's honestly don't know much, and no, i'm not a doctor, but with all DH's sperm probs I have learnt A LOT about sperm and what is and isn't normal and low morphology isn't normal. Its not normal for it to be really high, but they do like it to be a minimum of 5%.

Just to give you an idea, my DH had 3 regular lab tests and 2 big ones with our IVF clinic.

His latest one came back as:

Count - can't remember but it was below normal
Motility - 35% (it has been as low as 1% before)
Morphology - 1%
DNA Fragmentation (damage) - 19% (which is quite high as any higher than 29% they cannot work with).

With those results our only option is IVF ICSI. Unfortunately there is nothing (except for life style changes and even then its only a 'maybe') available for men in the form of treatment.

If you have any questions ask away, and as I said I hope I didn't scare you! Was your DH's count good? If so, then morphology is your only major problem, motility a bit low but wouldn't make it impossible to conceive naturally.

 

[faye38]

thanks for the help that was very helpfull info i dont understand why my dh would have 99% abnormall my hubby is already a father from a previous relashionship he has fathered a son and daughter son 22 daughter 18 but he is a chef and has allways competed in bike racing and cycling he dont drink or smoke so im wondering whats gone wrong i have my biological clock ticking to as im 38 i am luck i do have to sons from a previous relashionship but it was 16 and half years ago since i had a baby what help do you think we could have ? i hope you get sorted with your hubbys problems hows it going and what will you go for ivf wise

 

[miel]

Fayes i heard so that intensive biking can warm up the the testicules and damage the sperms...you may want to tell your specialist about the sport you hubby does.

 

[miel]

you may want to read this...
If you are a hard core cyclist, you will find that you have a reduction in semen and sperm production. All that riding can injure the scrotum and testes and potentially lead to fertility problems. What's more, wearing bike shorts for hours on end can kill off your sperm as effectively as a spell in the hot tub. The scrotal area can also get hot and sweaty when it's sandwiched between the legs and bike seat, and that can lead to lower sperm counts in avid cyclists. God put the testes outside of the body, because they need to be cooler than the rest of the body. If you are planning on riding a bike, you will need to wear loose fitting shorts and spend far less time on the bike in general and make sure you have the softest seat possible.

 

[strawberry199]

I found this thru internet...Hope this helps..

Bicycling has been linked to impotence in men and also may affect the sperm count. Pressure from the bike seat may damage blood vessels and nerves that are responsible for erections. Mountain biking, which involves riding on off-road terrain, exposes the perineum (the region between the scrotum and the anus) to more extreme shocks and vibrations and increases the risk for injuries to the scrotum.


Another reason that may cause low sperm count is Men who ate an average of half a serving of soya food a day had lower concentrations of sperm than those who did not.

 

[Loula]

Faye has he been ill recently - about 3 months ago as that can affect it? The cycling and working as a Chef ( hot environmen) are probably not conducive to great sperm either.

Get a repeat done in a few weeks

Also don't set much store by the fact he is a dad already as things can and do change - horrid as that sounds