Both men’s and women’s reproductive health are crucial when trying to conceive. Just as women need high-quality eggs, men need healthy sperm to create viable embryos that develop into healthy babies. So, what does healthy sperm look like? Let’s explore sperm health together.
How to determine if the sperm are healthy
In a standard semen analysis, sperm count, motility, and morphology are the three key indicators of healthy sperm. These features, observed under a microscope, reflect the overall health of the male reproductive system.
Sperm count and concentration
A healthy sperm count is at least 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen (the fluid released during ejaculation), or a total of at least 39 million sperm per ejaculate. For perspective, some men have over 200 million sperm per milliliter.
Semen consists of roughly 2–5% sperm, with the rest being seminal plasma. Higher sperm count and concentration increase the likelihood that one sperm will successfully fertilize the egg.
Sperm Motility
Once the sperm enters the female reproductive system, it begins a race with the egg. Sperm must successfully cross the cervix, pass through the uterus, and reach the fallopian tube to have any hope of finding a mature egg during ovulation.
Sperm motility is another important factor for physicians to evaluate sperm health. Even if less than half of the sperm are motile, pregnancy can still be achieved, but ideally at least 40% of the sperm should be motile.
An important component of sperm motility is forward motility — the ability of sperm to move forward in a straight line. Some sperm are motile but swim in circles instead of moving forward, making it difficult for them to pass through the fallopian tube.
A healthy sperm head should be smooth and oval, about 5-6 microns long, containing sperm DNA. The head is 40% to 70% covered by a cap. The middle part contains energy-producing mitochondria, and a long tail propels the sperm forward. There should be no abnormalities in any part.
How to promote sperm health
- Healthy diet
A healthy diet benefits overall well-being and sperm quality. Patterns like the Mediterranean diet are particularly linked to better sperm health. A balanced intake of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants supports optimal sperm parameters.
- Stress management
Studies have shown that stress causes testosterone levels to drop and sperm counts to decrease. Of course, completely eliminating stress is unrealistic. The key to preparing for pregnancy is to find a healthy stress management method that suits you.
- Nutritional support
If you’re trying to conceive, high-quality nutritional supplements can support sperm health. For example, Juvenex AOS18 combines seaweed extracts with the patented ingredient Reco18, enriched with flaxseed oil, ginseng, goji berry, and raspberry extracts. AOS18 has a purity of more than 98% and a molecular weight of 60,000 to 200,000 daltons. It is more active as a small molecule and easier to enter into cells to play a role, helping increase sperm concentration, vitality, and motility.
In summary, sperm health plays an essential role in successful conception. Count, motility, and morphology are key indicators of male fertility. Proactively monitoring and improving sperm health not only benefits men’s overall well-being but also provides essential support for successful pregnancy preparation. Science-backed approaches can significantly improve the chances of conceiving and welcoming a healthy baby.