Fertility in men responds, above all, to seminal quality. The most commonly used test is the semen analysis, which assesses sperm concentration, sperm motility and sperm morphology. Do you want to know more about semen quality and its implication in pregnancy? The ProcreaTec Clinic gives us some clues.
Does semen quality influence the chances of pregnancy?
The achievement of pregnancy involves two elements: egg and sperm. Semen quality contributes half of the embryonic genetic load and, above all, the influence of semen quality on embryo development can be seen at key stages such as fertilization or blastocyst.
That is to say, a low seminal quality gives us a low fertilization rate or a low arrival at blastocyst.
When is semen considered to be of good quality?
There are different tests to evaluate semen quality. The most widespread is the seminogram. This test analyzes sperm concentration, motility, morphology and motile sperm count.
We consider that a semen is of good quality when it presents a semen analysis with values above those established by the World Health Organization (WHO).
We also have other tests that analyze possible genetic abnormalities in spermatozoa such as FISH or sperm DNA fragmentation.
What happens when semen is not of good quality?
Sometimes the semen quality is not optimal, so we resort to different assisted reproduction techniques. The one we use most frequently is sperm microinjection, which consists of introducing a spermatozoon into an oocyte with the help of a micropipette.
In other cases we use more complex techniques, such as PICSI. It is used in patients with high sperm DNA fragmentation, while those who have no sperm in the ejaculate undergo a testicular biopsy to remove the sperm from the testicle and then place them inside the oocyte.
How can semen quality be improved?
Seminal quality depends, to a great extent, on the state of health and habits. In some cases, it is advisable to follow a diet and include vitamin supplements three months before undergoing assisted reproduction treatment. In this way, we help to improve seminal quality. However, this is often not enough and we turn to the laboratory to improve sperm selection.