Whether it is for a simple sperm analysis or a fertility treatment procedure like IUI or IVF, the male partner’s sperm needs to be collected from them.
Sperm plays an important role in the success of a fertility treatment. They need to be of the best quality with good motility and morphology to fertilize the egg and result in pregnancy successfully.
Sperm collection or sperm retrieval is an important step in IVF procedure. They should be collected carefully, and any damage done to the sperm can affect the IVF success rate.
In this article, we’ll look at how sperm are collected for IVF treatments and what procedures doctors follow to collect the best sperm for IVF.
Sperm collection in IVF
In the entire IVF cycle, sperm retrieval is probably the only time when the male partner is involved. The sperm collected need to be fresh and not contaminated by external factors.
Your partner will usually be given a sterile container in which they will collect the semen and provide it to the doctors. Here are some ways sperm can be collected from your partner.
Ejaculation
Your partner can masturbate and ejaculate his semen into the container provided by the lad. They can either do it at home or in a secluded room allotted by the hospital.
Sexual intercourse
Your partner can also collect his sperm through sexual intercourse by wearing a special condom provided by the lab. The sperm will be collected in the condom during ejaculation and can be provided to the hospital.
Testicular Sperm Extraction (TESE)
This method of sperm retrieval is followed if the semen collected through the above two methods has
- Low sperm count,
- Poor sperm quality,
- Poor sperm motility and
- morphology.
In such cases, doctors will recommend artificial sperm collection methods to collect sperm directly from the testicles. This procedure is called TESE (Testicular Sperm Extraction), where a small incision is made in the testicle to collect sperm.
Testicular Sperm Aspiration (TESA)
This is another method of artificial sperm collection. As the name suggests, a needle is inserted into the testicles, and the sperm are aspirated.
How to get the best sperm sample for IVF?
The sperm collected needs to be of the best quality to ensure IVF success. Even if the number of sperm collected is low, the quality of the sperm can make up for it.
Below are some tips men can follow to ensure they have the best sperm during sperm retrieval.
Lifestyle changes
Poor lifestyle choices are the main reason why the volume and quality of sperm are low. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and quitting smoking and alcohol are some lifestyle changes that can improve sperm quality.
Abstinence
Abstaining from sexual activity for some days (probably 2–7 days) before sperm retrieval has been shown to produce sperm with high quality.
Don’t wear tight pants
Wearing tight and thick pants is also one of the major reasons for poor sperm quality. The scrotum needs to be at optimum temperature to produce good-quality sperm. Tight pants can increase scrotal temperature and reduce sperm quality.
Take supplements
Your partner can ask for some supplements from your doctor and take them to increase sperm quality. Vitamin C and E supplements have been shown to increase sperm quality and quantity.
Reduce stress
Stress is another factor that affects both male and female fertility. You and your partner need to be relaxed and positive for your IVF cycle to succeed. Yoga, meditation, and other relaxing activities can help.
How much sperm is enough for IVF?
According to studies, a normal sperm count is when a man has around 15–200 million sperm per milliliter of semen and around 39–900 million sperm per ejaculate.
Though this is the recommended count, IVF has been done using samples with less sperm, too. In IVF, sperm quality is more important than sperm count. So, even if your partner has a very low sperm count with some good quality sperm, the doctor can achieve success using ICSI or IMSI methods of fertilization.
Likewise, if your partner has a normal sperm count but has a high amount of abnormal, low-quality sperm, fertilization, and IVF success is unlikely.
Conclusion
Sperm collection is an important step in your IVF treatment. The higher the sperm quality, the higher your chances of success. Ensure your partner does everything he can to improve the quality of his sperm before providing them to the lab.
Like how sperm and egg quality are important for IVF success, the fertility hospital you choose is also important to achieve success in your IVF treatment. Research well and choose the Fertility Clinic and doctor who is dedicated and has a high success rate.
Sperm retrieval is often done only once or twice through your entire IVF journey, no matter the number of cycles. The sperm will be frozen and used for future cycles. However, the sperm should be collected again if the doctor requires it.
Yes, you can either collect sperm at home using a sterile container provided by the lab or by masturbating in a secluded room in the hospital. Ensure the semen sample is submitted to the hospital within an hour.
Below are some tips you can follow to increase the quality of your sperm.
- Lifestyle changes – healthy diet, regular exercise, etc.
- Abstinence for a few days before sperm retrieval.
- Don’t wear tight pants
- Take supplements – Vitamin C & E
- Reduce stress
Yes, not only female fertility but also male fertility is affected by age. Men above the age of 40 have been shown to have less sperm count and quality than men younger than them.
