Help understand sperm analysis results

[Kiri23]

My husband has had his sperm results back. The sperm count is low which we expected and know about as it’s an ongoing issue. But this time sperm motility has come back as progressive 0%, non- progressive 3% and immotile as 97%. The volume is 3 million. Would we still be able to go ahead with treatment or is there no hope for us now?

I know this is probably a question for a doctor or fertility expert but I’m feeling so anxious now and won’t get any answers until next week. Hoping someone may have some experience and may be able to help provide me with some answers/indication.

Thank you very much!

[Llizzie]

Hi, did they measure his morphology too?

My husband had very low numbers last September. By December his count increased to 14m from 3m and motility from 12% to 44%. We think diet related as we cut out processed food and cut down on alcohol after seeing a doctor. His morphology is still poor at 1% but we’ve been recommended to proceed with IVF ICSI. Finding out more about what could be causing those results may mean you can look at what you might be able to improve.

We assumed the clinic would say we had no chance as he also had a comet test which measures DNA fragmentation, and the results were awful. But the clinic said we should try anyway.

Can you ask to be referred to an urologist? My husband saw an andrologist privately who sent him for an a ultrasound (which found two hernias in his groin), and a urologist (who found varicoele). We can’t do much about those as he has issues with his veins and his heart but knowing why his quality is low as helped him come to terms with why he might not be able to conceive. And in some men treatment can fix the problem.

It’s pricey to have extra consults and tests but I’m glad we did. My husband found the news devastating as did I. But six months later we know we might have a chance and if it doesn’t work, we might go to donor sperm, knowing we did everything we possibly could and why his numbers are so low. Hope that helps a bit. xx

[Kiri23 in reply to Llizzie]

Hi. They said with morphology, they couldn’t measure that due to the low sperm count. It’s a bit heartbreaking but I think we would have to give it a go, if we can so that we don’t live in regret. We will also see what the clinic says. Thank you for sharing your experience and for your help. Perhaps we could also do a few things to help improve the count and look into why it’s the case. Wishing you lots of luck on your journey x

[Llizzie in reply to Kiri23]

That’s rough. Our andrologist told us no smoking (he didn’t anyway), Mediterranean diet, less cycling, no hot baths and no more than 2-3 drinks in a session - preferably red wine or ale. We definitely still had treats but we binned off ready meals and ate better. I was pretty astonished to see how far his numbers jumped. Lifestyle recommendations can go to ridiculous levels with IVF, but a few changes did seem to help us and he’s given up alcohol completely this year - but desperate for a pint after his donation next week! We asked our urologist for a recommendation of a clinic that would allow us to try his sperm rather than forcing us down the donor route. When we had our first consult it didn’t come up once. I’m not thrilled at the idea of my body being used to help experiment whether his sperm can work but I need to at least allow him a shot. xx

[Running79]

If that has come back from a normal sperm analysis test

Like Llizzie has mentioned a DNA fragmentation test might be a starting ground for you.

Our clinic suggested it straight away due to my husbands age not because of his initial results - he was mid 50’s at that point. It showed that his morphology was slightly on the low side

But if your husband has high fragmentation that could also be an issue which would need sorting out.

Have you looked into supplements for your husband for example Impryl, proxeed or fertlix - they arn’t cheap but we’re recommended by our clinic to help improve sperm quality.

We also needed ICSI - but it maybe with those results you need IMSI

I’m sure the Dr may have some suggestions that haven’t been covered here

[soccerkt6]

Hi kiri, Llizzie's advice is really good and I second all of it.

You would still be able to do ICSI with your husband's numbers but you should def do further investigations before you go down that route. The fact that he has low count and low motility increases the likelihood that he also has high sperm DNA damage, so he should have a DNA fragmentation test done. If he does have high DNA fragmentation ICSI won't necessarily help, so you want to have that information before you do a round.

The second thing I would do is have him get blood tests to check testosterone, LH and FSH. Hormonal imbalances can cause low sperm count and can sometimes be easily treated with medications, so it's worth knowing if that's a contributing factor. His GP should be able to order these tests but if you've asked to be referred to a urologist they should also be able to do them.

In addition to lifestyle changes - no processed foods, minimal alcohol and caffeine, lots of vegetables and fruits, no smoking, limit contact with plastics - I would also have him start a supplement asap. Our consultant recommended Impryl. It will take 3-4 months to notice a difference once you make these changes, so best to start right away! Best of luck xx