sperm and is recommended for couples trying to conceive, according to
new research.
Until now doctors have debated whether or not men should refrain from
sex for a few days before attempting to conceive with their partner to
improve the chance of pregnancy.
But a new study by Dr David Greening of Sydney IVF, an Australian
center for infertility and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment,
suggests abstinence is not the right approach.
He studied 118 men with above-average sperm DNA damage and found the
quality of their sperm increased significantly after they were told to
ejaculate daily for seven days.
On average, their DNA fragmentation index -- a measure of sperm damage
-- fell to 26 percent from 34 percent, Greening told the European
Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Amsterdam on Tuesday.
Frequent sex does decrease semen volume but for most men this is not a problem.
"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 context of assisted reproduction, this simple treatment may
assist in improving sperm quality and ultimately achieving a
pregnancy."
Greening said it was likely frequent ejaculation improved the quality
of sperm by reducing the length of time they were exposed to
potentially damaging molecules called reactive oxygen species in the
testicular ducts.
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler, editing by Paul Casciato)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment