IVF possible despite a semen report showing dead sperm

When it comes to defining the 'why' of infertility, a reliable global thumb rule is as follows- 1/3rd of infertility cases are caused by male reproductive issues, 1/3rd by female reproductive issues, and 1/3rd by both male and female reproductive issues or by unknown factors.29 year old Jignesh Dave learned this the hard way. Three years into his marriage, he and his wife Asha were seeking answers to the age-old question, "any good news?"

        Jignesh and Asha, a Dadar couple, sought help and underwent three anxious cycles of intrauterine insemination (IUI- a fertility treatment that involves placing sperm inside a woman's uterus to facilitate fertilization).When these didn't work, a friend referred them to Dr. Rajalaxmi Walavalkar at Cocoon Fertility.while it takes just one sperm to fertilize a woman's egg, for each sperm that reaches the egg, there are millions that don't. On an average, each time a man discharges semen , he releases around 40 - 100 million sperm.

             "When I saw Jignesh's recent semen report with a sperm count of a few thousand and no motility i.e. possibility of all dead sperm, I realized that this would be an uncommon and challenging case. In addition to the treatment given, what helped was that the couple was very supportive of each other and positive," says Dr. Rajalaxmi Walavalkar, Consultant, IVF and Reproductive Surgery at Cocoon Fertility.

           What followed was further detailed investigations for Jignesh and 6 months of rigorous treatment, with nutrition support, hormonal management and medication in the form of tablets and injections. Jignesh's sperm health improved and sperm count increased to 12 million with alive sperm found in the subsequent semen test.Dr. Anagha Karkhanis, Director of Cocoon Fertility adds, "The results were so encouraging that both Asha and Jignesh were now eligible for and ready to proceed with IVF."

         Today, Asha and Jignesh are proud parents to a healthy 3-month-old daughter."This case establishes firmly, that fertility is not just about the presence of sperm but also about their quality and ability to fertilize an egg. Hormone imbalance, stress, unhealthy lifestyle and inadequate diet attribute to impaired semen quality, and quantity," adds Dr. Rajalaxmi.Cases like these give hope to millions of couples who are looking for that small bundle of joy in their lives. Reach out to the experts and give yourself a chance to bring home your baby.