Advice needed, Dp sperm morphology really low

Ok - for those who can decipher it.

Volume = 1.5mls (should be 2 - 4mls)
Concentration = 16 x 10to the power of 6/ml (should be 20 x 10to the power of 6/ml)
Progressive motility = 22% (should be greater than 50%
Rapid progression = 5%
NOrmal forms = 3% (should be greater than 15%)
Concentration 4 x 10to the power of 6/ml (should be 10 x 10to the power of 6/ml

This was the best test we had. The three subsequent ones were worse, but I can't find the paperwork!

Just a thought 1wish, but has your dh been tested for things like cystic fibrosis? It turned out that my dh was a carrier, which may be a contributing factor.

Thanks Iwish and I really hope everything is resolved quickly for you guys aswell.... Good luck with the clomid, should get you ovulating pretty quickly.

Littlefish - has certainly proved that its more than possible..

Best Wishes XX

We had out tests ages ago... I can't remember the figures and they were not given to us in such detail. I have a fertility appointment on the 3rd July, so I am going to ask for all the reports...

To be honest they have just dismissed all our problems as minor problems and nothing to worry about. However it took us 18months to conceive our first child, then we lost him due to complications in the pregnancy and then we have been trying again for 7 months. My obstetrician said for him there are too many indicators presenting themselves, but they don't have a clue what the issue is? So he has discharged me until I am pregnant again and placed me back with the fertility consultant. I have slight PCO, but not bad enough for clomid as I ovulate and my husband has 'slow' sperm, but they said neither issues were to be worried about and it is just a matter of time. Easy for them to say! I think as long as sperm is there there is always a chance, however the chances are reduced.

Already a women only has a 25% chance of conceiving monthly (Att will correct me if I wrong in my figures) and then presented with other issues, this can be reduced. But it only takes one sperm and one egg to be well timed and there you go! So in some respects it is a matter of time. But you can only wait so long. I think your consultant has got a clear plan and is thinking ahead for you with good timescales. Ours however is still waiting on a timescale that seems to be on the never never! Once you find someone you can trust and relax with, I strongly believe that this helps. Also I would takes some life style changes into consideration. I really beleive they work and also make you more active and relaxed. My husband has slipped back into his old ways a bit (I don't blame him, but he needs to get more fit) and I think it will really make a difference again.

1 wish

Your dh's sperm analyis looks positively enormous compared to my dh's. So yes, you must have a chance, because we got there!

I'll have to see if I can dig out dh's analysis.

Just remembered, another friend of mine who had ICSI for her first child (successful after 3 cyles) and then had 3 more unsuccesful cycles has just had a baby girl, conceived naturally.

See, another good news story!

AttilaTheMeerkat - sorry crossed posted... god you are the font of all knowledge!

Do you think we should raise some more issues around this with our fertility consultant? They have always dismissed my husbands rate as being OK, even though its at 5%. Do you think IUI will help if he has this problem?

My husband also has problems with his kidneys, nothing major and has never been diagnoised with anything, but we think he has a small blockage.... do you think the two could be related?

Sorry for the hijack 1Wish...

1wish - sorry you've had such bad news. Your story sounds very similar to ours. We found out that I wasn't ovulating, and that dh had a really, really rubbish sperm count - poor morphology and motility and very low volume - the triple whammy!

Anyway - we were told that ICSI was our only way forward. DH's sperm wasn't good enough for IVF.

I started having acupuncture and when my hormone levels were tested 3 months later, I was ovulating normally.

We took a deep breath and made some big lifestyle changes. No alcohol, smoking, caffeine, red meat or cow dairy (switched to goat dairy), acupuncture for both of us, yoga for me, chinese herbs for dh and lots of vitamin and mineral supplements for us both.

18 months later, the month before we were due to start IVF, I found out I was pregnant. Glorious, beautiful, miracle dd is now 2 and a half.

We'll never know if our life style changes made the difference, or whether it was just time and luck. However, making the changes made me feel more in control which kept me calmer.

There's a good book called "Natural Solutions to Infertility" by Dr Marilyn Glenville - it's really worth a look.

Good luck. Keep hoping and dreaming because it really can happen!

My husband has a lower morphology rate than average of around 5%, but the consultant advised he was still not worried as it still produced millions of sperm, I think it is more critical if the sperm count is low. Morphology rate is where some are not developed as well and can't swim well. (our GP described it as backwards sperm - nice!) I was completely freaked out, but my husband had to cut down alcohol, cig's, bad foods and concentrate on fish, red meats and you can take Zinc and vitamin C to improve the quality.
I know your husbands is lower than mine and it must be a shock, but it is still very possible to get pregnant and to increase his rate further.
(I fell pregnant after 18months - we however lost the pregnancy, but still got pregnant!) We are trying again now and my dh really needs to try exercise as well.... which should help! However the 18 months was put down to unexplained fertility rather than anything to do with my husbands rate, so they really did not see it as a problem.
Really hope things work out for you, best of luck and best wishes!

I was very sorry to read your story. Unfortunately as you have discovered subfertility is not just a female problem.

I would seriously consider seeking a second opinion from another unit and see what they say. Usually women are kept on clomid for no more than six months and this is also not going to address the morphology problems.

Has your partner been referred to a urologist?. This is not going to be addressed by diet and or supplements alone.

Another important parameter in the semen analysis is the morphology, or shape of the sperm. The shape of the sperm is a reflection of proper sperm development in the testicle, or spermatogenesis. Men with a defect in sperm maturation tend to have problems with sperm morphology and may then be at risk for failure of their sperm to fertilize their partner's eggs.

There are two methods for performing a semen analysis. Most clinical laboratories perform a crude estimation of the percentage of sperm in the ejaculated specimen that appear to have normal shape. Only specialized andrology laboratories have trained technicians that can perform a "strict" semen analysis. Only these "strict criteria" (also known as Krueger criteria) have been studied with regard to fertilization success or failure. If a man has a decreased number of normally shaped sperm on the Krueger strict morphology analysis, he is at risk of fertilization failure or at least low rates of fertilization. However, an increased number of abnormally shaped sperm with 'non-strict' criteria may indicate a fertilization problem, but to be certain this test should probably be repeated in a laboratory that performs strict analysis. Strict morphology is a useful test to perform with couples that have unexplained infertility, even if the semen analysis and non-strict morphology are otherwise normal.

Urologic Examination

Once an abnormal finding on a semen analysis is identified, the male partner should be referred to an urologist, preferably one that is sub-specialty trained in andrology (the urologist version of a reproductive endocrinologist) for an examination and a review of his medical history. Usually, a repeat semen analysis will be recommended by the urologist/andrologist as there is significant variability from specimen to specimen. The urologist will usually want to examine a urine sample to rule out infection or evidence of kidney or bladder problems.

If the size of the testicles is less than expected, the male will be tested for hormone levels of FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and testosterone. He will also be examined to see if he might have a varicocele, a plexus of dilated veins in the scrotum that is associated with infertility. If an obstruction of the sperm collection or transport system anatomy is suspected, additional tests may be recommended.

sorry, no help, but sad that this has happened for you. but its also good that steps are being taken iyswim? Good luck