Sperm Counts ‘Falling’: Do I Really Need a Semen Analysis?

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

It’s amazing how a simple sperm count became a full-on, prime time “Sperm War.” I was asked to speak on Shade 45, Eminem’s SiriusXM channel, about the hullabaloo concerning the claim that
What struck me most while on the show was the palpable anxiety amongst the DJs and callers on this issue. I had each of the DJs get their sperm counts analyzed before the show and revealed the results to them on the air. The whole thing came to a boil, and like all guy things, turned into “Sperm Off 2017” (Warning! Strong language: Listen to the audio file here). But, during all of this, I could sense how nervous they really were before the reveal. It’s comments like these that got me thinking:

  • “Is there a problem with how strong our nut is?”
  • “Is it because people want to have careers and sh*t?”
  • “I want to think that I’m a virile man…”
  • “Is that my sperm can’t find an egg?”
  • “I gotta lotta stress. Does stress affect sperm?”
  • “Is there an early age when men start to lose their sperm?”
  • “[As I get older], am I going to have a weak fragile child?”
  • “Does sleeping on a couch help?”
  • “How old do you have to be to start worrying about that sh*t (i.e. advanced paternal age issues)?”

The Scent of a Man

What I realized from all of this is that a man’s view of his fertility is the highly guarded, soft and tender underbelly of the beast. You poke at this, and you poke in one of the deepest recesses of what a man thinks of himself. In a word, it is virility defined. And that may be the reason why the world is in a tizzy over the idea that sperm counts are falling.
But before you go there too, please know the truth about sperm counts, fertility and you:

  • The single best measure of fertility potential is actual fertility and not the sperm count (unless it’s zero; and even then a second opinion is important).
  • Sperm counts can vary widely in an individual, from day to day, season to season and year to year.
  • Your lifestyle and the way you treat your body has far more impact on your fertility than does some nebulous statistical trend occurring over 50 years.
  • To know the most about your fertility, you would want to have a physical exam in addition to the sperm count and a good medical history.

So, if after all of this you are still concerned or worried about your fertility, consider a Maybe It’s Him®™ evaluation to allay your fears. The take home here: The man makes the semen analysis, but the semen analysis does not make the man (fertile).