What Constitutes Healthy Sperm?

Before you go running off to see a fertility specialist, you have decided to make sure you are doing everything you can to produce healthy sperm. The problem is, you don't know very much about sperm and what constitutes healthy fertility in a man. In this article, you will receive the basic information you will need to understand what the fertility doctors look for when they determine your fertility. Healthy sperm help ensure a healthy pregnancy and a normal, healthy birth.

The Three Fertility Factors In Sperm

Sperm must be strong and healthy in three specific areas in order to get the job done well. The first is the quantity of sperm you have. You are most likely fertile if you have more than 20 million sperm per millilitre of semen. Of the 200 millions of sperm that are in ejaculated semen, only about 200 make it to the fallopian tube where the egg is waiting. However, it only takes one to fertilize the egg.

Quality Control

The second area of strength is quality. Morphology, which is structure and shape of sperm, holds equal importance with quantity. If one-third of your sperm are normal in shape and structure, having an oval head and a long tail (which propels it forward) you are likely to be fertile. Sperm that are misshapen, have odd shaped heads and kinky tails, are less likely to fertilize an egg.

Get Moving!

In order for sperm to reach their target, they have to move. Although they are carried forward by the wave of semen, in order to reach the egg, which is waiting in the woman's fallopian tube, the sperm must go the final distance on their own. They swim and wriggle their way to their goal. Motility, the ability to swim or move, is an important characteristic of healthy sperm. If half of your sperm are in motion, you are probably fertile.

What is amazing is that it only takes one sperm cell to fertilize the egg. However, even though you may be fertile, there are still specifics to address in the process. You may need to make several attempts at conception before it happens, even if your timing is great and you and your partner are both healthy. Under the best circumstances, only 50 to 70 percent meet the health criteria necessary to fertilize an egg so it is important that you do everything you can to produce strong, healthy sperm.

How You Can Help

Eat your veggies. They are high in antioxidants, which may contribute to sperm health. A multivitamin a day, regular exercise (without driving yourself to exhaustion), maintaining a healthy weight and keeping stress to a minimum, are all good habits to have for healthy sperm production. When you manage your physical health well, the health of your sperm will benefit greatly.