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When a sperm and egg meet, new life can begin. But for couples that have problems with sperm counts or sperm motility, this beginning can become a frustrating experience. This is why sperm donation has become more popular these days - to help couples finally have the chance to conceive a child. A sperm donor can help to make their dreams a reality.
The idea of sperm donation, even male infertility, used to be more hush-hush than it is these days. And this is because couples are learning that they are not alone in their low sperm count problems - and they're learning that talking about it can help find the answers they're looking for. The cause of low sperm count is not always clear and instead of trying to find ways to increase sperm in their bodies, they're turning to outside sources, like their local sperm bank.
These facilities collect male sperm to be used in in-vitro fertilization as well as other fertilization procedures. The men that donate sperm will be thoroughly tested for diseases as well as given a questionnaire to help establish their medical background. Donor sperm is then collected and frozen until it is needed for a couple that wants to have a child of their own. Other couples choose to bank sperm from their healthy partners before these men have radiation for illnesses such as prostate cancer. They can choose to bank the human sperm in order to have biological children at a later date.
What is the cause of low sperm count? For many men, it's a medical condition that has been present all of their lives, but had not been noticed until they attempted to conceive a child. Some men have troubles with sperm production, so they aren't able to produce a large number of sperm in their ejaculate. And since there are fewer sperm to reach the egg, there are fewer chances to conceive. Other causes can include issues with producing motile sperm, or sperm that is able to 'swim' vigorously. Just as with any other organism, if it can't get to where it needs to go, the sperm will then die. Another possibility for needing donation sperm is the idea that the man has a normal sperm count, but the actual sperm are not health sperm. These sperm might not swim very fast or they might just have innate troubles that cause them to be unable to meet up with the egg and pierce the outer layers of the membrane.
How long does sperm live? In a healthy vagina, sperm can live up to five days without any trouble. This is why many couples that have issues with fertility will want to have sex around the woman's ovulation time, in order to make sure that the sperm is present as soon as the egg is released. You can also improve sperm quality by making sure that they man is following a healthy diet as well as avoiding alcohol and illegal drugs when you are trying to become pregnant.
Sperm banking allows those with low sperm quality to use healthy sperm that are ready and eager to meet up with an egg. After the sperm is collected, sperm cryopreservation can keep the sperm viable for years, depending on how well it was frozen in the first place. However, the weaker sperm will not always survive the thawing process. When the frozen sperm is finally unfrozen, you will have fewer sperm than were initially placed into the sample.
If you're concerned that you may have a low sperm count, or are just having troubles with conception, make sure to talk with your doctor first before heading to a sperm bank. There may be many options that you can try first in order to increase your sperm quality as well as your count.
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