Can Male Fertility Be Reversed?

With many causes leading to male infertility and equally as many remedies available, it can be concluded that male fertility can oftentimes be reversed. Poor parameters or complete absence of sperm (azoospermia) can be caused by lifestyle choices, infection or inflammation, microbial dysbiosis, hormonal imbalances, or physical factors, i.e. varicocele, congenital bilateral absence of vas deferens. All these contributors can be adjusted: Lifestyle can be improved, infections can be treated with antibiotics, dysbiosis can be improved with probiotics, hormones can be prescribed and balanced and physical, structural abnormalities can be operated on. Sperm can further be surgically retrieved via MESE or TESE. There are conditions in which it may not be possible to reverse infertility, and the use of donor sperm may have to be an option to be considered. Those of a more serious, irreversible cause are those of genetic origin. This may include inheritable diseases that affect fertility or gene mutations within the sperm genetic makeup that cannot be altered but affect fertilisation or development of the embryo. Depending on the type of genetic disorder, sperm may have to be retrieved, ICSI performed, or donor gametes may have to be used should there be no other option.

How Long Does It Take to Improve Sperm Quality?

When lifestyle factors are altered and little changes implemented, sperm parameters can improve within one cycle of spermatogenesis which takes on average 12 weeks. Although it will be worthwhile and beneficial to maintain a healthy lifestyle, small changes including quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake, improving one’s diet and doing regular exercise all whilst keeping the testicles cool, can all increase sperm concentration, motility and morphology within one cycle of sperm production. Lifestyle improvements and healthier living can further improve the overall quality of sperm, such as sperm integrity, meaning the DNA content within the sperm.

Does Masturbation Affect Sperm Count?

Similarly, regular ejaculation can improve sperm quality. As mentioned in the post “natural ways to improve sperm quality”, parameters are improved by a cycle of new sperm formed and old sperm stored in the epididymis released. With new sperm regularly produced and ejaculated, cellular processes like cell death within the ejaculate cannot affect sperm quality as significantly as when sperm is stored for long periods. Initially, when shortening the abstinence, ejaculate volume and sperm counts may appear lower, as the body requires time to produce sperm and replenish the reserves. Should ejaculation become more regular, concentrations should equilibrate accordingly. For most tests, abstinence periods of 2-3 days are optimal, as the sperm would not have been exposed to increased levels of oxidative stress through biochemical processes in the seminal plasma or the epididymis during sperm development, but sperm should have formed and matured appropriately within this time frame.

Contact Fertility Solutions to find out more.