Men And Sperm Health
By Dr. Mike Berkley, Thu Dec 8th

While a woman is born with all the eggs she'll ever have, menproduce sperm on a continual basis. Therefore, what a man doeson a daily basis can affect the sperm maturation process.

Smoking, drinking, drugs, stress, poor nutrition and lack ofexercise all can contribute to poor sperm quality. And, it wasrecently discovered, a man's sperm quality begins to declinearound the age of 25.

There are five main factors that contribute to overall spermquality. They include sperm motility, speed, count,concentration and morphology (shape and size).

A weakness in any of these areas can affect the chances ofconception.

Motility

Sperm motility is a term that describes sperm's ability to movein an active fashion: in other words, are the sperm "strongswimmers?" In healthy sperm, typically more than 50% are activewith over 25% moving forcefully in one direction. Motilityenables the sperm to travel through the cervical canal, into theuterus and the fallopian tubes and, finally, to penetrate theegg.

Speed

The forward movement of sperm called progressive motility,forward progression or rapid linear progression. There are alsoseveral different ways to classify forward movement.

According to the World Health Organization (1999), in a healthymale, greater than 25% of sperm will exhibit progressivemotility. It is thought that these are the sperm with the bestchance of successfully fertilizing an egg.

Rapid linear progression showed a greater than 60 % improvementafter four months of treatment with acupuncture, herbal medicineand supplements.

Sperm Count

Sperm count refers to the number of sperm in the fluid that isejaculated (semen). There are over 40 million sperm in a normalejaculate. A total count below 40 million may indicate decreasedfertility. With the Berkley Center's unique protocol ofacupuncture, herbal medicine and supplements, count increasedmore than 14 % after four months of treatment.

Concentration

Concentration is a measure of the number of sperm cells in amilliliter of semen. Normal concentration is at least 20 millionsperm cells per milliliter of semen. With the Berkley Center'sunique protocol combining acupuncture, herbal medicine and theappropriate supplements, concentration improved after fourmonths of treatment.

Morphology (shape and size)

A healthy sperm cell will have a shape similar to a tadpole. Thesperm's oval head contains the genetic material, the centerprovides energy and the tail propels the sperm forward.

Using the strict criteria put forth by the World HealthOrganization (1999), studies of Assisted Reproductive Technologyprograms show lower pregnancy rates with less than 15% normalforms. Furthermore, experts believe that abnormally shaped spermcannot fertilize an egg.

Subfertility

The term, subfertility, refers to couples that are unable toachieve conception after a year of unprotected intercourse (or 6months if the woman is over age 35). It is different frominfertility. A subfertile couple merely has lower odds ofconceiving during any given month than fertile couples.

Statistics at a glance

*Human reproduction is surprisingly inefficient and quitecomplex -- the likelihood of pregnancy within any given month isbelieved to be only 25 percent among fertile couples.

*1

out of 12 couples have subfertility.

*Male-related factors account for 40 percent of subfertility.Female-related factors account for another 40 percent and acombination of male- and female-related factors account forabout 20 percent.

*About 90% of all subfertility can be traced to specific causesthat can be treated.

Typical causes of male subfertility

*Sperm production problems

*Blockages in the sperm's delivery system

*Injuries to the testicles

*Low or high hormone production

*Anatomical problems

*Varicocele (varicose veins around the testicle)

*Past illnesses/ infections/ various diseases

*Certain medications

Sperm quality

Sperm quality is a contributing factor for 40 percent of couplesexperiencing infertility. There are five main factors thatcontribute to sperm quality:

*Motility: The ability to move in an active fashion. In healthysperm, typically more than 50% are active with over

25% moving forcefully in one direction. Motility is what enablesa sperm to travel up the cervical canal, into the uterus and thefallopian tubes and, finally, penetrate the egg.

*Speed: Progressive motility. In a healthy male, greater than25% of sperm will exhibit progressive motility. It is thoughtthat these are the sperm with the best chance of successfullyfertilizing an egg.

*Count: The number of sperm in the fluid that is ejaculated(semen). There are over 40 million sperm in a normal ejaculate.A total count below 40 million may indicate decreased fertility.

*Concentration: A measure of the number of sperm cells in amilliliter of semen. Normal concentration is at least 20 millionsperm cells per milliliter of semen.

*Morphology: The shape and size of the sperm. A healthy spermcell will have a shape similar to a tadpole. The sperm's ovalhead contains the genetic material, the center provides energyand the tail propels the sperm forward.

Using the strict criteria put forth by the World HealthOrganization (1999), studies show lower pregnancy rates withless than 15% normal forms. Furthermore, experts believe thatabnormally shaped sperm cannot fertilize an egg.

Motility, speed and morphology appear to be the most importantfactors to assess the fertilizing capability of sperm. Despite alow sperm count, many men with high-quality (viable and highlymobile) sperm may still be fertile.

By combining acupuncture, herbal medicine and supplements wehave been able to effectively enhance and improve the quality of

sperm. Not only do the count, morphology and motility improvebut sperm fragmentation is often successfully treated.

Another excellent application of the Berkley Center's protocolis varicocelectomy recovery. One of the causes of lack ofimprovement in sperm quality and count after a varicocelectomyis due to a lack of blood flow to the testicles. The properapplication of acupuncture, herbal medicine and supplements hasbeen shown to successfully enhance blood flow to the testiclesand facilitate healing and significant improvement aftervaricocelectomy.

About the author:Dr. Mike Berkley has been treating male factor fertilitydisorders since 1996 with amazing results. He works exclusivelyin the area of reproductive medicine and enjoys working inconjunction with some of New York’s most prestigiousreproductive endocrinologists. Sign up for his free newsletterat www.BerkleyCenter.com