Imagine an army of two million bunny rabbits swimming across the Mississippi River—they all would drown. Likewise, strength in numbers doesn’t always apply to sperm when referring to fertility. A high count of low quality sperm won’t reach a woman’s egg, just like the fluffy herd would never breaststroke their way to shore. According to Dr. Peter Ahlering, medical director of Sher Institutes for Reproductive Medicine–St. Louis, the belief a low sperm count is the sole cause of male infertility is a popular misconception. “It’s really an old school way of thinking,” he explains. “Fertility has a lot more to do with reproductive potential than just count.”
At SIRM-St. Louis’ Center for Male Infertility, testing goes beyond simply counting sperm. Ahlering assesses the entire male factor, which can involve issues in both quality and quantity of the sperm. Consequently, he checks for DNA fragmentation, motility, and morphology. “You’ve got to do the right test in order to interpret it properly, and then you’ve got to stratify the patients into proper treatment,” he says. Treatments vary depending on the severity of the male factor, however medication, intra-uterine insemination, and in vitro fertilization are among popular options.
Statistically, males struggle with infertility just as much as females. For more than five years, the Center for Male Infertility has emphasized assessing and treating male factors, however SIRM-St. Louis is designed to treat the couple as a whole. “We treat issues that are involved with both of them,” he says. “Because it’s a couple problem. It’s not just one or the other.”
