Sperm DNA Fragmentation

What does this mean and what can we do about it?

Here’s another dose of male fertility information and support to help guide you on taking the next step to understand sperm health and optimising chances of conception.

To do this, we must consider what happens when the sperm becomes damaged, either due to medical reasons or from lifestyle factors. This is what we call DNA fragmentation, in other words, cellular damage or mutation due to your internal environment.

So, you’ve got your sperm sample analysis back and everything is “normal” or slightly veering on the suboptimal level. But it’s important to note that you could still be suffering with DNA fragmentation, even in these instances. So this must be tested too.
What does testing for DNA fragmentation mean? It is unpacking and seeing what’s going on INSIDE the sperm.

How is this done?

Yep, you guessed it. Another sperm sample but this time submitting it to a private testing company called Sperm Comet. This is considered to be the gold standard in male fertility testing that properly assesses the most important part of the sperm – the DNA.

Sperm DNA contains all the instructions that will make your baby, but it can be damaged during sperm production and storage, causing the DNA molecule to break into smaller fragments. This is known as DNA fragmentation, which can affect your ability to conceive or have a healthy baby. Men with high levels of damaged sperm DNA also have double the risk of miscarriage.

SpermComet is one of the most accurate tests for sperm damage, measuring the amount of DNA fragmentation in your sperm, allowing you to know whether it’s a factor in your conception problems. The results also help guide you as to which course of treatment to follow should you be having assisted reproduction techniques such as IVF.

Properly assessing sperm in this way allows men to truly understand the quality of their sperm and with the proper guidance and support in lifestyle and diet make the necessary changes to improve their results and overall fertility.

You will soon be able to send for your Comet Tests directly through our clinic as I will soon be a registered practitioner with ExamenLabs. However, in the mean time I recommend reaching out to them directly to order your testing kit.

I highly recommend reading through their research papers as, unlike NICE guidelines which the NHS are guided by, these are the most current and up to date clinic research regarding male fertility. To do so, click on the link below…