Doctors Prescribe More Sex!

Damaged sperm DNA can contribute to reduced male fertility potential. Recently, Australian fertility researchers reported that they may have identified a way to reduce the amount of DNA damage in sperm from males who produce such sperm: more sex! According to this article, more frequent sex resulted in a 12% decrease in DNA damaged sperm cells. This small study of 118 men was presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) meeting in Amsterdam in June. Most IVF protocols recommend several days of abstinence before egg retrieval, with the aim of optimizing the overall number of sperm available for use. But this new study may provide evidence that frequent sex can increase the overall quality of sperm instead. Doctors theorize that frequent sex results in a more rapid turnover in the sperm 'inventory' stored in the epididymis. This reduces the amount of time freshly produced sperm are held in this storage structure, thus reducing the opportunity that DNA damage will occur in the stored sperm.

Other experts caution that percentage of damaged sperm is only one part of a more complex picture when dealing with male factor infertility. "Looking at sperm DNA is just one part of the puzzle," said Bill Ledger, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Sheffield, who was not connected to the research. "Maybe this will improve pregnancy rates, but we still need to do more studies." While daily sex may result in "fresher" sperm, it can result in reduced number of sperm in an ejaculate and can increase stress in a relationship, which is known to have negative effects on fertility.