Important things related to sperm qualityImage Credit source: Getty Images
The World Health Organization (WHO) says that if a couple has been trying for 12 months and is not getting pregnant, then it is considered infertility. Not only women but also men can be responsible for this. Experts say that this can happen if there is less sperm or less motility in men. There can be many reasons behind the poor health of sperm. This includes hormonal disturbances, infection, smoking, excessive drinking, obesity and uncontrolled diabetes.
It can be cured through lifestyle improvements, medicines and hormonal treatment. But do you know what is more important in sperm count and quality. Let us tell you through experts…
Sperm count or sperm quality… what is more important?
Dr. Divya Goswami, Consultant Gynecologist, says that whenever it comes to male fertility, most people focus only on sperm count. But the truth is that sperm count alone is not everything. As important as the number of sperm is, its quality is equally important.
Sperm count tells us how many sperm are there in semen. At the same time, sperm quality shows whether these sperm will be able to do their work properly or not. In this we see how well the sperm are moving, which is called motility, whether their shape is normal or not, which is called morphology, and whether the genetic material present inside them is healthy or not.
Understand it this way, if the sperm count is good but most of the sperms are not able to move properly or their shape is not correct, then it becomes difficult for them to reach the egg and fertilize it. At the same time, even if the sperm count is slightly low, but the quality of the sperm present is good and they are active, then pregnancy can still occur.
Therefore, we do not estimate someone’s fertility just by looking at sperm count. In semen analysis, the complete picture is understood by looking at many things together.
Overall Sperm Health
One more thing, good quality of sperm matters even more in treatments like IVF. Because the healthier the sperm, the better will be the chances of fertilization and formation of a good embryo. Therefore, if you ask whether sperm count or sperm quality is more important, then overall sperm health is most important. Because ultimately this increases the chances of a healthy pregnancy the most.
