Do we no longer have male factor?!

[Cuppppatea]

Awaiting results of DNA fragmentation test but ‘normal’ semen analysis results came back normal?! Could we technically go for ivf now instead of icsi?!

Has anyone experienced normal analysis but high fragmentation I wonder? I am pleased but confused. As this is a big change since the last one.

Volume (ml) (>1.5):
 3.2

Total number (106 per ejaculate) (≥39): 86.4

Concentration (106 per ml) (≥15):
 27

Total motile PR+NP (%) (≥40): 75

Progressive PR (%) (≥32): 71

Non-Progressive NP (%): 4

Immotile (%):
25

Normal Forms (%) (≥4): 4

Non-sperm cells (106 per ml): <1

pH: 8

[Londonlady2024]

Hi, you could still have a normal semen analysis that comes back normal but after fertilisation you could still have some fragmentation, many leading to pregnancies. Embryos are graded based on several of factors including size of cells and fragmentation. Embryos with less than 10% fragmentation are meant to be top quality but we all know low quality embryos can lead to pregnancies. It's other factors too... uterine environment, progesterone levels, lifestyle changes, age etc.

[Esb27]

That's great to hear! I have heard you can have amazing semen results but then high DNA frag (which is why we decided to do it too!!). So really great you've done the test and hopefully those will come back fine too but ALWAYS good to check I say x

[Cuppppatea in reply to Esb27]

thanks for your reply

[Xmishell37]

Hey, my partner had really good semen analysis test last year and his DNA frag test just came back at 30%. This is high and anything over 30 is unlikely to result in a natural pregnancy, he's started making lifestyle changes more recently in prep for our second round but his fragmentation was likely much higher when he gave his sample last year for round 1 (he had started taking supplements and reduced alcohol intake prior to giving his sample for DNA frag and it still came back high whereas last year I cut down on alcohol but he didn't really before our first round). So the semen sample can look perfect (his looked great for his age 44) but it's likely been a big contributory factor in me not getting pregnant over the last few years, 100% worth doing the dna frag test to know how much change in diet/lifestyle is needed ❣️ xx

[Cuppppatea in reply to Xmishell37]

Thanks for your reply. He is on a good cocktail of supplements as per 'it starts with the egg' but weekend drinking has been an issue...its partly why I booked the test. I do wonder what the results are (consultation monday) I think he thinks its all rubbish unfortunately. What changes were made for you guys and do you know if it helped?

[Xmishell37 in reply to Cuppppatea]

I paid for the DNA frag test privately and my IVF is on NHS...so I've still to share his test results with them, just had my 3rd bfn confirmed today so il be offered a consultation with a doctor in the next few weeks and share his result then to see if they suggest any changes to protocol next time, my partner drank every day over the xmas period and his sample for DNA frag was given mid March so i dont know if that had an impact on his recent result (I'm really hoping it did and cutting out alcohol reduces it), he wont be drinking between now and June and to be honest he would have continued as normal thinking his contribution was fine if we never got the dna test, so im really glad we did. There has been some tough conversations over the last year about it but if he didn't make changes I said I wasn't keen to do round 3, the only other changes will be dietary (both our eating habits were terrible prior to round 1 and very high in sugar) so lots of anti oxidant rich foods for both of us as per It starts with the egg! The other thing is heat exposure...my partner would ALWAYS put the heated seat on high in the car which drove me mad as I'd told him it wasn't good, we were also in a hot tub one month before my last egg retrieval!! I came into this whole thing very naive and my round 1 was a disaster so hoping these changes make a difference xx