Understanding Your Test Results
Your Exact sperm DNA test results provide important information about your reproductive health which can help you make informed decisions about lifestyle changes or treatments to improve your fertility.
Exact tests measure sperm DNA damage which could be a significant factor affecting your fertility.
It is important to understand:
• High sperm DNA damage means the quality of sperm is poor.
• Low sperm DNA damage means that the quality of the sperm is good.
The Exact test result shows three different indicators of DNA damage (fragmentation) compared against a fertile reference range.
Your sperm DNA indicators:
Comparison chart
A graph showing the extent of DNA damage in your sample in comparison to the Examen fertile database*. Most sperm from fertile men have low damage. Infertile men have more sperm with moderate or high damage.
Average DNA damage
The average amount of DNA damage per sperm in your sample. This is a summary measure of the ‘typical’ amount of DNA damage in your sample.
0 – 26% – You are within the fertile range
26 – 100% – You are outside of the fertile range and have an increased risk of infertility and miscarriage.
Low DNA damage
The percentage of sperm with good quality DNA
74 – 100% – You are within the fertile range
Less than 74% – You are outside of the fertile range and have an increased risk of infertility and miscarriage.
High DNA damage
The percentage of sperm with poor quality DNA
0 – 4% – You are within the fertile range.
5 – 100% – You are outside of the fertile range and have an increased risk of infertility and miscarriage.
*The Examen range indicates the amount of DNA damage found in fertile men. It was developed by comparing a group of men who successfully fathered children within a year against a group of men having fertility treatment. The reference range cut-off represents the point that differentiates most clearly between the fertile and infertile men.
Can you improve an abnormal result?
Badly damaged sperm DNA is sometimes associated with lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol, recreational drug use, anabolic steroid use, and a poor diet. It may also indicate a medical issue such as varicocele (variocose vein on the scrotum) or infection.
Take positive action:
Do:
- Talk to a male fertility expert: He/she can often help you to improve your sperm quality through simple outpatient interventions.
- Quit smoking: Tobacco is toxic to sperm. Smoking over 20 cigarettes a day reduces sperm count and motility, plus produces free radicals that damage sperm’s DNA.
- Limit alcohol: More than Just 2 pints of beer or 1 large glass of wine a day increases your risk of infertility.
- Ditch the drugs: Cannabis affects sperm’s ability to find the egg, let alone fertilise it!
- Eat healthily: A balanced diet has many health benefits, and sperm needs nutrients too.
- De-stress: Stress produces free radicals which can limit sperm production and impact sperm DNA quality.
- Stay cool: Sperm production is best at a lower temperature, tight underwear, compression shorts and sitting for long periods or cycling can damage your sperm.
Every step is a positive change, supporting the health and quality of your sperm DNA
For more information on how to improve your sperm DNA, click here.
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