An 80% rate of abnormal sperm does not affect fertility, alleviating concerns about conception.
**Article 11**
**An 80% rate of abnormal sperm does not affect fertility.**
**Case Study**
**Name: Zhang Liang (pseudonym), 28 years old**
**Region: Zhengzhou, Henan**
**Occupation: Graphic Designer**
Zhang Liang and his wife had been married for a little over a year. With their jobs becoming more stable, they decided to have a baby. Considering it a big deal, they decided to go to the hospital for prenatal checkups. They were determined to have a healthy, smart, and beautiful baby. However, when Zhang Liang received the semen analysis report, he was stunned by the following line: "Normal sperm morphology percentage 20%; abnormal sperm percentage 80%; among which, head abnormalities 55%, neck abnormalities 20%, body abnormalities 20%, and tail abnormalities 5%." "What can we do?" The young couple looked at each other, speechless, as if facing an abyss. With so many abnormal sperm, how could they possibly have a baby? Clinging to a sliver of hope, they went to the andrology clinic to consult a doctor.
To their utter surprise, after reviewing the test results, the doctor beamed and told the couple, "The test results are good. The man doesn't have any major problems. You can try to conceive." Zhang Liang was puzzled and asked, "Doctor, with so many abnormal sperm, will our offspring be healthy?" The doctor smiled and said, "The sperm abnormality rate has no relation to whether the baby will be deformed. Everyone's semen analysis shows a certain percentage of abnormalities; this is a natural phenomenon during spermatogenesis."
Wang Rui, Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University: As we all know, human reproduction is the result of the union of sperm and egg. Sperm is the male reproductive "messenger," born in the testes, and is a unique male reproductive cell. However, once sperm is produced, it faces aging. The external characteristic of aging sperm is abnormal sperm. Therefore, a semen quality analysis report includes: "Percentage of normal sperm morphology ××% (≥15% is normal); percentage of abnormal (teratogenic) sperm morphology ××% (≤85% is normal)."
Sperm production is a highly complex process. It is regulated by the endocrine system and occurs within the seminiferous tubules of the testes. These tubules are composed of numerous germ cells and supporting cells. Germ cells include spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and spermatids. Spermatogonia are attached to the basement membrane of the seminiferous tubules and continuously divide and differentiate, gradually migrating from the base into the lumen. Therefore, spermatogonia are the "ancestors" of sperm. Each spermatogonia can eventually develop into four sperm cells, and the seminiferous tubules in the testes contain hundreds of millions of spermatogonia. At a ratio of 1:4, the total weight of a man's two testes is approximately 20-40g. Each gram of testicular tissue produces about 10 million sperm cells per day, resulting in a total daily production of approximately 200-400 million sperm cells – a substantial amount.
The process of sperm production within the seminiferous tubules takes approximately 74 days. At this stage, the sperm are still very delicate and immature, lacking the ability to motility and fertilize. Therefore, they must remain in the epididymis for about 16 days, where the microenvironment helps them undergo further processing, gradually maturing and acquiring the ability to motility and fertilize. This process also matures the sperm's function. However, during these 90 days of production and maturation, these delicate and immature sperm undergo significant challenges, also following the laws of natural selection and survival of the fittest. They undergo a natural apoptosis process, and coupled with external factors, some sperm may develop abnormalities in their head, neck, body, or tail. So, what causes these sperm abnormalities?
1. Due to the influence of individual genes, chromosomal abnormalities can cause abnormal sperm.
2. Environmental factors: Prolonged high temperatures in the scrotum and alcohol abuse can damage the spermatogenic cells of the testes and interfere with sperm growth and maturation, leading to sperm abnormalities. Radiation exposure to the testes, epididymis, and seminal vesicles can also cause sperm mutations, resulting in teratospermia. Sperm cell mutations are related to the intensity and duration of radiation exposure.
3. Infectious diseases of the urogenital tract, mumps complicated by orchitis, congenital testicular hypoplasia, chronic poisoning, epididymal tuberculosis, excessive mental stress, malnutrition, excessive sexual activity, varicocele, etc. can all affect the spermatogenesis process.
4. Use of hormones or certain chemical drugs, such as frequent use of sedatives, anti-tumor drugs, chemical drugs such as busulfan, nitrofurans, and hormones, can also interfere with the division of spermatogonia and sperm maturation, and are a common cause of high abnormal sperm count.
5. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that sperm abnormalities are caused by an imbalance between kidney yin and kidney yang. When qi is deficient and unable to generate true essence, sperm abnormalities occur, altering the appearance of the sperm. At the same time, depletion of kidney yang and excessive yang fire can burn the sperm, resulting in abnormal morphology.
Most importantly, during sexual intercourse and ejaculation, the massive army of sperm travels through the approximately 30cm-long vas deferens and is injected into the woman's vagina. This army of sperm then races along a 10cm section of the vagina and a 15cm section of the fallopian tubes-a race comparable to a modern marathon in athletics. Only the best of the best have the chance to win, fertilize the egg, and create a healthy baby. Abnormal sperm, due to various factors, cannot achieve this.
After the doctor's explanation and analysis, the couple understood that only excellent sperm can combine with an egg to create a healthy baby, while abnormal sperm have no chance to combine with an egg. Therefore, abnormal sperm within the normal range are not enough to pose a threat to the health of the next generation, and the couple felt relieved.