The Big Fertility Project

Men’s Sperm Count Is Falling, But This New Fertility Test Could Help
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Big Fertility Project

Men’s Sperm Count Is Falling, But This New Fertility Test Could Help

Talk of fertility often centres around women and our ever-present biological clocks (joy). But around 50% of cases where a couple is having difficulty conceiving are actually caused by a male fertility issue. Modern life is killing men’s sperm, or at least making it poor quality.

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Male factor infertility is notoriously difficult to pin down. Men with “abnormal” sperm tests aren’t necessarily subfertile, as the test is just a snap-shot and there is wide variation in results between labs. Three essential criteria are used to assess sperm: count, motility and morphology. An “abnormal” result often simply means the test result was not typical of that of a highly fertile man.

This article claims researchers have developed a new magnetic sorting test to pick out the best sperm to use for fertility treatment. The technique used, magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) is not new, has been around for over a decade, but there just isn’t the evidence to support its use in clinical practice. Small studies have shown MACS may help identify better quality sperm, but unfortunately using MACS does not improve the chance of having a baby from IVF or ICSI.