Abstinence from “sex” makes sperm healthier?

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Many people believe that abstaining from sex will help store more sperm, stronger sperm, so the possibility of conception will be higher. But is this concept correct?

1. Abstinence from sex makes sperm healthier?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in the 21st century, infertility is the third most dangerous disease, after cancer and cardiovascular disease. Vietnam is a country with a high rate of infertility in the world with a rate of about 7.7%, equivalent to one million infertile couples. Worryingly, infertility is getting younger and younger, about 50% of infertile couples are under the age of 30. Of the causes of infertility, 30-40% are caused by men.
Many people believe that abstaining from sex will help store more sperm, make sperm stronger, so the possibility of conception will be higher. However, many studies have proven this to be a misconception.
A study in Brazil was performed with semen samples from 2,458 healthy men, without infertility, without sexually transmitted diseases, not on hormone therapy in the previous six months, and no chronic diseases.
These men were divided into three groups: abstaining from sex for less than 2 days, abstaining from sex for 2-5 days and abstaining from sex longer than 5 days, then semen samples from all three groups were taken. analysis. Research results show that increasing the time of abstinence will increase semen volume and total sperm count when ejaculating, but reduce sperm vitality and motility. A long period of abstinence from sex will also increase the percentage of sperm with fragmented DNA. The results of this study are similar to many previously published studies. DNA is the genetic material contained in the sperm nucleus, which combines with the egg’s genes to form a fetus. Sperm DNA fragmentation is a condition in which the sperm DNA sequence is not seamless but has small breaks. If sperm with fragmented DNA fertilizes an egg, it will cause many risks such as recurrent miscarriages, stillbirths, birth defects,… Fragmentation of sperm DNA is related to overproduction. oxygen free radicals (ROS).

2. How long should abstain from sex to have healthy sperm?

So abstaining from sex for too long will reduce sperm quality, so how long should sex be for the best quality sperm? A study analyzing more than 9,000 sperm samples collected from more than 6,000 men and published in the journal Fertility and Sterility (USA) found that the period of abstinence needed for healthy, highest quality sperm was varies greatly between healthy men and men with low sperm counts or other problems with reproductive function. For men who have problems with infertility, sperm motility (the percentage of sperm with good motility in total sperm) will reach its highest level after abstaining from sex for a day and quality. Sperm count will generally begin to decrease after two days of abstinence. In normal healthy men, sperm quality peaked after seven days of abstinence and decreased after 10 days.

3. How to properly treat infertility?

Thus, abstinence from sex for too long will affect sperm quality, but how long to have healthy sperm in order to increase the possibility of conception is very different between individuals. The studies themselves have sometimes come to different conclusions. According to the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO), infertility is the state of regular sexual intercourse without using contraception for 12 months without becoming pregnant. Couples who have been trying to get pregnant for a long time without success should not abstain from sex for healthy sperm or use unproven oral methods. But the couple should go to reputable medical facilities to receive treatment for infertility in a scientific and proper way.

The couple will have a comprehensive reproductive health check, to check the sperm health, the husband is usually assigned to analyze the semen analysis. The husband’s semen sample will be examined under an electron microscope to analyze factors such as sperm density, sperm shape, sperm motility, etc. If the pattern is abnormal, the doctor will find out whether the cause of this condition is genetic or due to damage, disease, … to find the right treatment. Combining treatment and lifestyle changes in a positive direction, increasing exercise, actively losing weight, implementing a varied and nutritious diet, supplementing with vitamins and minerals as prescribed by the doctor. Doctors will help improve male reproductive function, increase fertility.
Infertility treatment is sometimes a very long and extremely difficult process, if active treatment according to the doctor’s instructions but still not effective, assisted reproductive measures can be a lifesaver for you to have children of your own. The doctor will discuss with the couple about the methods that are being widely performed today such as intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection. cytoplasmic oocyte (ICSI),…

Vinmec IVF Reproductive Center is the address of infertility treatment – infertility chosen by many couples. So far, the Center has performed fertility support for over 1000 infertile couples with a success rate of over 40%. This rate is equivalent to developed countries such as the UK, USA, Australia,…
The center gathers a team of leading experts in the field of obstetrics and gynecology nationally and internationally, trained in centers leading in the world such as in the US, Singapore, Japan, Australia and famous fertility centers in the world.
With a high level of expertise and extensive experience, Vinmec IVF Center’s experts are capable of synchronously and comprehensively deploying the most advanced assisted reproductive techniques today, helping realize the dream of becoming a parent of hundreds of families across Vietnam.
To learn about assisted reproductive methods at Vinmec International General Hospital, please book an appointment on the website for the best service.
References: webmd.com, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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