Fourth-fifths of the men saw an increase in sperm quality, and many of them moved into the 'good' range and out of the 'poor' or 'fair' categories. -- PHOTO: TANTRAPATH
PARIS - MEN seeking to become a dad should have sex each day, or ejaculate daily, for a week before their partner ovulates in order to maximise sperm quality, according to a study presented on Tuesday.
'MEN PLAY GREATER ROLE IN FERTILITY'
'THESE results may mean that men player a greater role in fertility than previously suspected, and that ejaculatory frequency is important for improving sperm quality,' said Dr Greening.
Australian fertility specialist David Greening recruited 118 men whose sperm had a higher-than-normal level of DNA damage.
Before the test, on average 34 per cent of the group's sperm was rated as damaged, meaning that it was classified as 'poor' in quality. Among individuals, this ranged from 15 per cent to 98 per cent.
The men were asked to ejaculate daily for seven days, but were not given any drugs or told to make any changes to lifestyle. After seven days, their sperm was examined again.
The average of damaged sperm fell to 26 per cent, placing it in the category of 'fair' in quality. Fourth-fifths of the men saw an increase in sperm quality, and many of them moved into the 'good' range and out of the 'poor' or 'fair' categories. However, one-fifth saw a decline in sperm quality.
Dr Greening, an obstetrician and endrocrinologist at Sydney IVF, an Australian company that carries out assisted reproduction, said the improvements were 'substantial and statistically highly significant'. Daily ejaculation not only boosted sperm quality for most of the men, it also helped sperm motility - another big factor in successful fertilisation - even though volumes of semen declined, he said.
Dr Greening presented his findings at a conference in Amsterdam of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), which provided details in a press release.
The research did not investigate whether the improvement in sperm quality led to better pregnancy rates. But previous work has shown that sperm that is less damaged and more mobile has a better chance of leading to a healthy baby. -- AFP
