Hello
Male fertility is a subject that doesn’t feature at quite the volume it should, and so I thought I’d share a few things that may help others out there.
My wife and I have been privately undergoing IVF, following 4 embryo transfers across 3 rounds we have recently learned the last has been a success. Fingers crossed for the months to come.
- Testing. A simple sperm test isn’t enough, my test showed poor motility but not enough to cause immediate concern. We chose to investigate further and undertake a DNA fragmentation test as recommended by our IVF consultant. Following a poor result confirming fragmentation, our consultant recommended a referral to a Urologist.
- Urologist input. The Urologist undertook a detailed set of blood and semen tests and a physical examination and confirmed the findings of the DNA fragmentation test. This showed the cause of the problem to be oxidized testicular stress which cannot be treated medically (surgical extraction may have been an option but its effectiveness is contested). The best treatment is to introduce as many antioxidants as possible into your diet and eat healthily, cut out the obvious things like plastics, and to take regular exercise. Alcohol in moderation is okay, just no binging. I was advised to go away for 6 months and return if IVF had not been a success.
- Supplements. Possibly the most significant thing I did and what I attribute success to. I took the following supplements daily for 6 months, it will take a minimum of 3 months for anything to take effect. Impryl by Pharmasure, Wellman Conception, Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), Lycopene, Coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinol).
- Frequent ejaculation. Yes this was actually prescribed by a doctor. If you suffer from poor sperm quality, old poor sperm is worse. Ejaculating frequently (every 1 to 2 days) helps keep the sperm young and the damage at a minimum. There is a counter argument to this that young sperm are weaker however.
- The well-known things. There is a lot out there that's more publicly advertised, plastics, excessive boozing, poor diet, saunas, steam rooms and hot tubs etc. Yes, follow this advice and avoid them.
Conclusion. I cannot definitively say if the changes I made resulted in a more positive outcome. DNA fragmentation tests are expensive so I’ve not had another to see if things have improved. The journey above cost roughly £3,500 (excluding the IVF) and would not be available to anyone using the NHS. The supplements aren’t the cheapest but are affordable and in most circumstances cannot do any harm, all are publicly available over the counter or online from Amazon.
I hope my learnings are of some value to others, guys and girls alike.