Helpful Facts About Male Fertility

There is often the misconception that infertility is strictly a “women’s issue.” This is simply not the case! Men play an equal role when it comes to dealing with infertility. According to ASRM, the male partner being the sole cause or contributing cause of infertility is a factor for about 40% of infertile couples.

Here are some sperm facts from our Medical Technologist, Chris Maksimovski:

* The average ejaculate contains 200 million sperm.

* The speed of a swimming sperm is about 1-4 mm per minute.

* Sperm cells are constantly being produced and it takes about 2.5 months for completely new sperm cells to form (Spermatogenesis). This can mean a common cold, fever, or flu bug can impact sperm quality/quantity and take up to 90 days to fully recover.

* Sperm cells are the smallest cells of the human body. Eggs cells (Oocytes) are the largest cells.

* The optimal temperature for sperm production is 7 degrees cooler than the rest of the body. That is why the testes (where sperm is made) are housed inside the scrotum.

* Factors such as poor diet, smoking, drinking, and a sedentary lifestyle can negatively impact sperm quantity and quality.

* Sitting in a hot tub, using a laptop directly on your lap, or even having your smartphone in your front pocket can negatively impact sperm quality. That is because it causes a rise in temperature near the scrotal region.

Be sure to take a look at the information we have here on our website for  helpful information on optimizing fertility health for men.