Private MD News

Sperm healthier and more fertile with daily sex

Updated: 2009-07-01 01:12:43 CST Category: Infertility Testing-Male

by Laurent Castellucci

New research suggests that daily sex results in healthier sperm and should be recommended to couples trying to conceive.

A new study by Dr David Greening of Sydney IVF, an Australian center for infertility and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, suggests that abstaining for a few days before attempting to impregnate a partner is the wrong approach to take.

"It seems safe to conclude that couples with relatively normal semen parameters should have sex daily for up to a week before the ovulation date," he said in a statement.

In the case of men who have been found to need reproductive assistance after the results of a male infertility test, Greening suggests this approach "may assist in improving sperm quality and ultimately achieving a pregnancy."

Greening found that DNA fragmentation, a measure of sperm damage, was 8 percent lower in men who had frequent sex than in men who abstained. Greening said it was likely frequent ejaculation improved the quality of sperm by reducing their exposure to possible damage from the environment.

Thirty to 40 percent of fertility issues are attributed to males, according to experts, and infertility tests should be considered when there is difficulty conceiving.

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