Tuesday 30 June 2009

Having sex daily can improve sperm quality

Well guys it looks like there is a reason why you want sex all the time! According to Dr David Greening, from Sydney IVF, in Wollongong, Australia "Sperm don't seem to like staying in warm testicles for too long. The advice might be to keep the rivers flowing."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6609105.ece

Whilst men's volumes of sperm increases when they go without ejaculating (which is why couples are normally told to have sex every two to three days if they are trying to conceive), the older the sperm becomes the more genetic damage it can accumulate through exposure to heat and to oxygen free radicals. Dr. Greening's research has found that whilst a man ejaculating daily has less sperm it is of better quality and the numbers still sit within normal fertile parameters.

Therefore, for some it looks like there are advantages to having sex daily (or of course if that is too much to hope for take matters into their own hands guilt free).

Although Dr Allan Pacey, Senior Lecturer in Andrology at the University of Sheffield, said: "There may be dangers if we apply this finding to all men uncritically and to all situations.

"For example, in cases where men have low sperm counts to start with, daily ejaculations may well reduce the sperm count still further and whilst sperm may be more healthy the reduced numbers could impede the chance of natural conception. However, if such men are preparing for an assisted conception procedure, this may well not matter and their chances of success may be improved."

I particularly found this report encouraging because one of the things that I like to do when working with couples is to help them enjoy making love again. Remind them of the fun they used to have before they got on the baby making train. Sex has become such a routine for many because it is now all about the 'right time' and ensuring that the man's sperm is at peak performance to tie in with that right time. That right time actually sits within quite a big window because the sperm can live for up to five days so having sex for up to five days before or after the 'right time' can result in a pregnancy. In the right circumstances I will even joke that there is no need to know when that 'right time' is, just have sex every day, and now it seems that actually that maybe beneficial.

One final note on the subject - remember it doesn't have to be Mills and Boons every night. Quickies are great fun too :-)


post signature

No comments:

Post a Comment