Men’s Health

Men's fertility Edinburgh

Male Factor Support

Around 40% of fertility issues are thought to be down to male factor problems, including up to 80% of early miscarriages which could be caused by faults in the sperm. 

The importance of sperm quality cannot be overstated. It can impact miscarriage rates, as well as the future health of the baby. Because men are producing new sperm all the time, we have a significant opportunity to impact quality.

Through our variety of therapies, we’re here to help you with:

Low Sperm Count

Decreased Sperm Motility

Decreased Sperm Morphology

Anxiety and depression related to stress

SPERM DNA FRAGMENTATION

In our clinic we often see couples who have been told they have ‘unexplained infertility’ when actually there is a male factor issue.

We understand how frustrating it can be to be left with no known diagnosis, particularly as sperm DNA damage may actually be the cause in up to 80% of these cases.

To help you find answers (and solutions), we offer the Examen DNA Fragmentation Test which can detect underlying issues in sperm such as lesions, damage or breaks in its genetic material.

SPERM DNA VS SEMEN ANALYSIS

Semen analysis is usually the first step men take when looking into their fertility. It provides important information of sperm health but often that’s not enough. This first line of testing looks solely at the motility (the movement), morphology (shape) and concentration (quantity) of the sperm, rather than the quality.

The Examen DNA Fragmentation Test goes much further and can detect underlying damage in sperm. Men with damaged sperm DNA are less likely to get their partner pregnant and have double the risk of miscarriage, they are less likely to be successful with fertility treatment, such as IVF.

The good news is that sperm DNA damage is almost always treatable with lifestyle changes and nutritional therapy.  

COST OF TESTS

The Exact DNA Fragmentation test is £525.

The ExactFocus test is £655. This test is for men with a low sperm concentration < 5M/ml. 

Sperm concentration levels can be obtained from a semen analysis test. It is now a requirement from Examen Lab that you have a SA test before going ahead with sperm DNA fragmentation testing.

The DNA Fragmentation Test

We are proud to be the Scottish Hub for DNA Fragmentation testing

This specific test is the only way to determine whether DNA is fragmented. A typical sperm test will only measure whether sperm has motility, reasonable morphology and good enough concentration; it will not tell you if it contains DNA that is functional.

We have worked with many couples having IVF and ICS treatment who have been unable to carry a pregnancy to full term, despite previous tests have shown “normal” sperm. This can be incredibly frustrating and disheartening for our patients. When we look at the sperm using this specific test and see high levels of DNA fragmentation, we know that it is unlikely that that the sperm in its current condition will produce a baby and can help you make changes to diet and lifestyle which can improve the sperm quality. Many of our couples go on to conceive naturally or with IVF treatment.

You can find out more information about the test here.

The process

Once the sperm sample has been collected and frozen it is sent to Belfast University for testing with results typically arriving 10-14 days later. They will be emailed to us and we will then forward them onto you and arrange a time to discuss the test and any questions you have about the results.

The cost of the test is £525 which is payable when ordering the test.

If the test results point to high levels of DNA fragmentation, we would encourage a consultation with one of our practitioners, who can help you formulate an action plan going head. It can be then very useful to repeat the test 3 - 4 months later to verify whether the implemented changes have had the desired effect.

If you would like have a chat about DNA fragmentation, you can contact us on malefertility@albanystreetclinic.co.uk