Sperm health

If you and your partner are trying to start a family (Opens in new tab), it's important to think about sperm health. Sperm health can affect:

• your fertility
• the pregnancy
• the health of your baby

It takes your body around 3 months to make new sperm, so it's important to be as healthy as possible before trying to conceive (start a pregnancy). This includes people who are using fertility treatments like:

• intrauterine insemination (Opens in new tab) (a fertility treatment where sperm is placed directly into the uterus)
• surrogacy (Opens in new tab) (where a person receives a donor egg which is then carried as their own baby)
• in vitro fertilisation (Opens in new tab) (IVF)

Your sperm health is measured in 3 main ways:

• Amount of sperm: Large quantities of sperm increase the chance of fertilising an egg through sexual intercourse. The number of sperm you have is called your sperm count.
• Movement: Your sperm need to move forward so they can find the egg. This is called sperm motility.
• Shape: Your sperm should be normally shaped when they are viewed under a microscope. This is called sperm morphology.

Sperm movement and shape are most closely linked with fertility (Opens in new tab).

If you and your partner are planning to start a family, you may want to see your doctor about preconception care. If you are having trouble getting pregnant (Opens in new tab), your doctor may recommend tests for both you and your partner. This can include a semen analysis (sperm test).

A semen analysis involves giving a sample of semen to be tested in a lab. This can help determine your sperm:

• count
• size
• morphology (shape)
• motility (movement)

Your doctor may examine your testicles. They may also recommend:

• a blood test to check your hormone levels
• an ultrasound of your testicles
• a testicular biopsy (a small sample of tissue is taken for testing)
• genetic testing (a blood or saliva test to check for inherited conditions)

To help find the cause of sperm health problems, your doctor may refer you to a specialist, such as:

• a urologist (specialist doctor who treats problems with the urinary system)
• an endocrinologist (specialist doctor who treats hormone problems)
• an obstetrician (specialist doctor focused on pregnancy and childbirth)

Sperm are created in your testes (testicles). They then travel through the male reproductive system (Opens in new tab) and mix with the seminal fluid made by your prostate gland to produce semen.

Different factors can affect the health of your sperm and how well it travels through your reproductive system.

Age

If you are over 45 years of age, your sperm quality, sperm count and sperm motility might be lower than when you were younger. You may also produce less semen.

Smoking

Smoking (Opens in new tab) lowers your sperm count and the amount of semen you produce. The more you smoke, the lower the quality of your sperm. Smoking can also increase the chance your baby will develop leukaemia (Opens in new tab) (a type of blood cancer).

Living with overweight or obesity

If you are living with overweight or obesity (Opens in new tab), you are likely to have a lower sperm count and reduce sperm motility. Being overweight can also affect the genes in the sperm that will be passed on to your baby.

Alcohol and drugs

Heavy drinking can reduce your sperm quality. It can also lower your testosterone (Opens in new tab) production and make it harder to achieve an erection.

Illicit drugs (Opens in new tab) can affect your ability to produce quality sperm. Taking anabolic steroids (Opens in new tab) may also permanently harm your sperm production.

Medicines

Some medicines, such as chemotherapy, can reduce your sperm quality. If you are about to receive treatment for cancer (Opens in new tab), talk with your doctor about storing sperm for later use. Talk with your pharmacist (Opens in new tab) about whether your medicines could be impacting your sperm health.

Sexually transmitted infections

Having a sexually transmitted infection (STI), such as gonorrhoea (Opens in new tab) or chlamydia (Opens in new tab), can affect your reproductive system. Most STIs are easy to treat, so speak with your doctor and get treatment as soon as you can to increase the chance of a successful pregnancy. Treatment will also reduce the chance of spreading the STI to your partner.

Environmental and occupational hazards

Toxic products such as pesticides, chemicals and radiation can affect the quantity and quality of your sperm. It's best to avoid exposure before you try to conceive. If your work brings you into contact with toxic substances, make sure you follow all occupational health and safety regulations.

Heat

Your testicles should be a couple of degrees cooler than your body temperature to produce good quality sperm. Avoid hot baths and spas and wear loose-fitting underwear to keep your testicles cool.

Lack of exercise

Not getting enough exercise can reduce your sperm health and overall wellbeing (Opens in new tab).

It's never too early to start looking after your sperm. If you want to start a family one day, the best way to help keep your sperm healthy is by living a healthy lifestyle.

This may include:

• maintaining a healthy weight (Opens in new tab)
• eating a healthy diet (Opens in new tab)
• exercising regularly (Opens in new tab)
• not smoking or vaping (Opens in new tab)
• drinking alcohol in moderation (Opens in new tab)

You can also protect your sperm by:

• wearing loose fitting underwear
• avoiding hot baths or spas
• avoiding sports injuries to your groin by wearing protective gear
• not taking anabolic steroids or using illicit drugs

You can visit the Healthy Male (Opens in new tab) page for more information on:

• sperm health (Opens in new tab)
• male infertility (Opens in new tab)
• freezing your sperm (Opens in new tab)
• the male reproductive system (Opens in new tab)
• low testosterone (Opens in new tab)

If you and your partner are planning a pregnancy, you could visit the Your Fertility (Opens in new tab) website. They have resources on healthy eating and exercise (Opens in new tab) and lifestyle factors that affect your chance of becoming pregnant (Opens in new tab).