Often times, infertility is a silent stressor that couples face alone. On top of that, the majority of the focus is placed on the woman to improve her health, to receive the bulk of the testing, and to undergo all of the treatments.
Yet, one-third of infertile female/male couples face male factor infertility. So testing sperm is an early and important test that should be done!
Sperm Testing
To test sperm, clinics ask that men provide a sample to analyze the quality of the sperm. Men are asked to reframe from ejaculation 2-3 days prior to providing the sample. Usually these tests are conducted in the doctors office, but some clinics may allow for men to bring a sample from home to the office for analyzing.
When the office analyzes the sperm, they are looking for many components of the quality and quantity of the sperm:
Motility: Measures the movement of the sperm after one hour, on a scale of 0-4
Morphology: This measures how many sperm have some sort of abnormality (head, midsection or tail)
pH: The normal pH range is between 7.2 and 7.8, a difference in pH could indicate the sample is contaminated or ejaculatory ducts are clogged
Volume: The amount of semen provided in milliliters
Viscosity: How fast the sperm disappears in the sample
Count: The total sperm present in the sample
Concentration: The ratio of sperm present in semen
SO that is a lot of information in a little test! This is definitely great information to have prior to having any invasive tests for the female partner.
Fertility Massage For Men
Our massage therapist is a Certified Fertility Massage Therapist and we can definitely help both men and women for fertility massages. Massage in general can support the circulatory and lymph system, as well decreasing stress and pain, and supporting hormonal balance. For men specifically, the massage will look a bit different as we will be focus on different aspects of the body:
Reflexology: For those with low testosterone, high cortisol, adrenal fatigue, and other hormonal imbalances can be helped with focused reflexology to the feet to stimulate the pituitary and adrenal glands
Abdominal Massage: Movement of the pelvis and abdominal massage with the use of a castor oil pack can help with colon cleansing to impact the pH of the sperm, pelvic rocking and massage can impact the motility of the sperm as well as possibly improving sperm counts.
At Home Treatments for Improving Sperm Health
Self of Partner Massage: By gently massaging the testicles with castor oil, you may be able to increase motility and sperm count.
No Heat Directing on Groin: This includes hot showers, baths and hot tubs, as well as placing heat directly on lap including laptops, heating pads and other heat sources.
Maintaining a Healthy Diet: Including fruits, vegetables, and lean meats
Frequent Ejaculation: Sperm needs to be fresh and healthy to improve conception, so ejaculating every 24-48 hours is ideal
Staying Well Hydrated: Water is pretty much key to everything
Abstaining from Smoking and Illegal Drugs: These can reduce testosterone levels which can lead to low counts and morphology.
We hope this information helps you learn about the idea of testing BOTH partners prior to expensive and invasive fertility treatments that may or may not be effective based on the findings of a sperm test!
References:
“Male Infertility.” HHS.gov, US Department of Health and Human Services, 6 June 2019, www.hhs.gov/opa/reproductive-health/fact-sheets/male-infertility/index.html.
