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Low Sperm Motility - Male Fertility Problems - Sperm Motility Video
Chicago fertility clinic offers effective treatment for male infertility
Page author Richard Sherbahn MD
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Click play to see a 15 second sperm motility video
How is motility tested?
Sperm testing is performed with a semen analysis which involves using a specialized counting chamber or a microscope slide with a grid.
See a video showing sperm on a counting chamber
The percentage of sperm that have forward progression (or "rapid linear progression") is also important. This means not only that they are moving - they are moving progressively forward. See video above for a demonstration of forward progression.
Significant abnormalities in any of the three main parameters of the semen analysis can result in inability of sperm to fertilize eggs.
Treatment options for low motility
- Evaluation by a urologist that specializes in male fertility problems to see if a varicocele or other correctable medical problem can be found
- Artificial intrauterine insemination
- IVF ICSI
For men with otherwise fairly normal semen parameters, but motility in the 30 to 40% range, insemination treatments (IUI) might be successful in achieving pregnancy. However, IUI success rates are not very high in these couples. Many will require IVF/ICSI to get pregnant.
- The lower the motility percentage, the less likely any treatments other than in vitro fertilization with ICSI will result in pregnancy.
- When we see extremely low motility percentages such as less than 25% motility we rarely see pregnancies without the use of ICSI.
It can be said that low motility is a cause of male infertility. However another way to look at it is that the cause of the problem is unknown since we usually do not know what the cause is for the low sperm motility.
What does it mean when more than just the motility percent is abnormal?
Sperm defects can be found in the count, or in the motility, or in the morphology - or in all 3 - or in any combination of these sperm parameters.
- Fertility will be less likely without ICSI as more of these parameters are abnormal - and the more severely abnormal they are.
- Sperm insemination treatment can be successful for male infertility cases when the motility is at least 30% and the total motile sperm count is above 5 million.
Treatment for the male to improve his low sperm motility
Ideally we would be able to treat the man and give him a medication or other treatment to significantly increase the sperm numbers or the percentage of motile sperm, etc. However this approach has not been very effective, because improving sperm motility is very difficult.
Some options that have been tried are:
- Clomid (clomiphene) medication for the male
- Varicocele surgery - if the man has a varicocele
- Various combinations of vitamins and minerals
- Sometimes these methods seem to be effective at improving sperm quality or quantity
- However, it is controversial as to whether there is good scientific proof that pregnancy rates are significantly increased with these methods
Lifestyle modifications and male infertility
Various lifestyle modifications have been shown to improve sperm quality and quantity.- Stop (or reduce) smoking tobacco
- Stop marijuana use
- Stop (or reduce) drinking alcohol
- Stop using any anabolic steroids (including any testosterone supplements)
Inseminations vs. IVF-ICSI for male infertility problems
Infertility specialists will often start with intrauterine insemination treatment if the motility is at least 30-35%. If those are not successful, in vitro fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection is usually as a treatment for male infertility.
IVF with ICSI is a highly successful treatment for male infertility
- Fertilization can usually be obtained in 70 to 90% of the eggs on the average
- This is regardless of the percentage of sperm motility (or the count)
- This tends to be true - as long we can find at least one normal, motile sperm in the specimen for each egg to be injected with ICSI
See a video showing ICSI being done - sperm injected into eggs in the lab
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