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Abstinence makes weak sperm grow
stronger
A little abstinence may go a long way for men with infertility
problems.
A new study shows that sperm from men with low sperm counts
reached their peak without sex.
They say the findings show that men with low sperm counts who are
undergoing infertility treatments should collect sperm samples
only after one day of abstinence. But men with normal sperm who
wish to become sperm donors or freeze their sperm for future use (cryopreservation)
should collect their sperm samples after seven days of abstinence.
Researchers say the duration of sexual abstinence necessary to
achieve maximum sperm quality is an issue commonly discussed
between doctors and male patients of infertile couples.
Most infertility clinics follow World Health Organization
guidelines that call for two to seven days of abstinence before
sperm sample collection, regardless of the initial quality of the
sperm. Abstinence can affect sperm quality-including concentration
of sperm,percentage of normal sperm and motility-all of which help
determine the success rates of infertility treatments.
In this study, researchers looked at whether sperm quality is
affected by the duration of sexual abstinence necessary to reach
maximum sperm quality.
Reseachers analyzed more than 9,000 sperm samples collected from
more than 6,000 men and found the duration of abstinence affected
sperm quality differently in men. The abstinence duration time
necessary for peak sperm quality were quite different among men
with healthy sperm verus men with low sperm counts or other sperm
quality problems.
In particular,sperm motility (percent of sperm movement) peaked
after one day of abstinence in men with infertility problems, but
overall sperm quality began to decline after two days of
abstinence.
Among men with normal sperm, overall sperm quality peaked after
seven days of abstinence and declined after 10 days.
