diagnosis guide
If you’ve just received a medical diagnosis, or you’re concerned that something in your present or past health history might be jeopardizing your fertility, check here for quick info on common medical conditions and how they can affect conception and pregnancy.
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Sperm: Problem With Morphology
What It Is
Morphology refers to the shape and structure of sperm, which is as important as quantity. A normal sperm has an oval head and a long tail that propel it forward. Sperm with large, small, or misshapen heads or kinky, curled, or double tails are less likely to be able to fertilize an egg.
Who Gets It
Men who smoke, drink heavily, use illegal drugs, exercise excessively, are overweight, or frequently expose the testicles to sustained heat, as in hot tubs or saunas, are more likely to have misshapen sperm. Medical conditions such as a varicocele, a swollen vein in the scrotum, and certain prescription drugs for high blood pressure, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcers, and heart disease also can decrease the quality of sperm.
Symptoms
For most men, the only sign of a problem with sperm morphology is the inability to father a child.
How It's Diagnosed/Detected
A semen analysis test can detect problems with sperm morphology.
How It Affects Fertility (And Pregnancy)
If less than a third of a man’s sperm are of normal shape and structure, he is likely to experience fertility problems.
Treatment
While lifestyle changes and a good medical workup to identify underlying causes for poor sperm quality may help, there is no specific medication or treatment shown to correct misshapen sperm.
Pregnancy Prognosis
If infertility persists, assisted reproductive techniques, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) in which eggs are fertilized with sperm in the laboratory, or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in which a single sperm is injected into an egg, are the best options.
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