Low or Nil Sperm Motility

The motility of sperm is the sperm’s capability to progress efficiently. Sperm with a minimum of 25 micrometres/sec forward progression is healthy sperm motility.

Asthenozoospermia or asthenospermia is when someone has poor sperm motility. Healthy sperm motility is crucial to conceiving a child since the sperm movement through the female reproductive tract must be efficient to fertilise after reaching the egg.

Low or nil sperm motility causes and indicates male factor infertility. When sperm below 37% efficiently travels, asthenozoospermia or poor sperm motility is diagnosed.

Absolute asthenozoospermia or absence or low fertile sperm is often called nil sperm motility. Its causes are sperm’s ultrastructural defects, necrozoospermia, where there are dead sperm due to oxidative stress, genital infections, cryopreservation, etc., which can be treated and diagnosed.

Careful sperm selection for ICSI or TESA (testicular sperm aspiration) may help in such cases.

When a couple tries for natural pregnancy, Sperms need to be motile ( have movement ) to reach till the egg.

Only then, the pregnancy can happen. It is becoming extremely common to see men with reduces sperm motility. As a Reproductive Medicine specialist, we need to first find out the reason for the lower or nil motility of sperms. This may include genetic causes, varicocele, infections and smoking among many other things.

We also test for the hormonal parameters and give targeted therapy to improve the sperm motility. It is a known fact that this condition can reduce the IUI success as well as IVF success.

It is common to see such couples going for more than 1 IVF cycle. Such issues may increase the IVF cost and hence should be tackled beforehand.

2 Types Of Sperm Motility

The two types of sperm motility are the following:

1. Progressive Motility

Progressive motility is when sperm swim or travel mostly in large circles or straight lines.

2. Non-Progressive Motility

Non-progressive motility is when sperm swim or travel in highly tight circles or do not travel.

The different sperm motility issues types include the following:

No mobility:-

Non-progressive motility- Below 5 micrometres/second

Sluggish or slow progressive motility

Cost Of Sperm Motility Test in Indore

The cost of sperm motility testing is between 400 INR and 800 INR.

Treatment/Testing For Low Or Nil Sperm Motility

Low sperm motility is usually unexplained, and its causes may vary in most cases.

Sperm quality may be impacted due to testicles (store and make sperm) damage, which may be caused by injury, infection, undescended testicles, issues by birth, testicular surgery, or testicular cancer. 

Long-term anabolic steroids usage can also reduce sperm motility and count, while a few herbal remedies or cocaine, cannabis, and other drugs may impact the quality of semen.

A disorder, varicocele, where the scrotum’s veins are enlarged, may lead to low sperm motility.  

Diagnosis

Among the most valuable and essential testing is semen analysis, which detects male fertility issues. It also evaluates sperm formation and their interaction in seminal fluid.

Sample collection is often done by masturbation, and men are advised to avoid intercourse for about a couple of days to a week before sample collection to increase semen volume. A sterile container is often used to collect the complete ejaculation.

Treatment

Lifestyle transformation, avoiding excessive drugs or alcohol consumption, balancing body weight, keeping testicles cool by wearing loose undergarments, consistent breaks from hot environments, avoiding long-term sitting, etc., may improve sperm count.

Since poor or nil sperm motility causes infertility, a few of the following treatments may help people get a child:

IUI or Intrauterine Insemination

IUI, often referred to as artificial insemination, is a process where sperm are washed after its collection. The specialists use a fine plastic tube to insert the fastest-traveling sperm in the woman’s womb. 

IVF or In-Vitro Fertilization

Egg product is encouraged during the IVF process by giving medication to the patient. The eggs are then fertilised with sperm after their removal from the ovaries. The embryo from this result is placed again in the womb for its development.

Sperm Donation

Since low or nil sperm motility may result in infertility issues, receiving sperm through a donor can solve the problems. The donated sperm is used in IVF procedures to help patients conceive a child.

Yaami Infertility And IVF Center

After trying for a year, people seeking to extend a child and fail to conceive may visit Yaami Infertility And IVF Center and get advice on undergoing testing and treatment to evaluate sperm motility.

The specialists will assess the medical history, lifestyle habits, and symptoms that lead to infertility, including low or nil sperm motility.

After a physical examination, our specialists will advise the semen sample collection to assess its volume, consistency, shape, size, acidity, sperm motility, and sperm count. It will help them identify the potential issues in sperm and advise the required treatment for fertilisation.

The testing and treatment of sperm motility are done through the specialists’ observation, and careful examination helps patients reach their goal to conceive a child.