Over 70% of university-age sperm donors in China fail to meet national quality standards: Doctors

Over 70% of university-age sperm donors in China fail to meet standards

China has recently seen a trend of decline in sperm quality among young men, including college students who should be in their prime fertility period.

As many as 70% to 80% of college-age donors have sperm quality that does not meet the national standards, said Dr Chen Wangqiang, director of the Department of Reproductive Medicine at Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine.

Dr Chen explained that the sperm quality of young men shows a trend of “decreased sperm concentration and motility, and increased deformity rate”.

Source: Science News

He noted that in the past, the infertility clinic was mainly catered to men aged 30 to 40, but more newlyweds aged 25 to 28 come for consultation.

The incidence of testicular conditions such as varicocele and prostatitis has also increased sharply for young men, particularly night shift workers and e-sports practitioners who sit for long periods.

Doctor presents 27-year-old male case study

Dr Chen shared the case of a 27-year-old patient with the pseudonym Xiao Lin, whose semen analysis report showed that his sperm concentration was only 3 million when it should be a minimum of 15 million per millilitre.

The report also revealed that Xiao Lin has 0% grade A sperm (fast forward movement) and only 2% to 3% grade B sperm (slow forward movement).

Additionally, his sperm deformity rate was at a high 98%.

Dr Chen explained that the main factor affecting Xiao Lin’s declining fertility was his long-term job as a nightclub manager with a reversed day and night schedule.

Xiao Lin was sleep-deprived, relied on cigarettes, drank three to four times a week, sat for long periods at work, and hardly exercised.

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According to a China News report, a compressed sleep time affects the repair of the sperm cell development process.

Meanwhile, long-term sitting compresses the perineum and the high temperature in the area damages sperm DNA.

Following the doctor’s advice, Xiao Lin quit his nighttime job and fixed his work and sleep schedule.

After receiving half a year of treatment, his sperm concentration increased to 14 million per millilitre and conceived a child successfully.

Doctor suggests three lifestyle changes to improve sperm quality

Dr Chen then proposed three measures to improve sperm quality in young men.

He recommends avoiding blue light stimulation and going to bed before 11pm to ensure deep sleep from 12am to 3am.

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Mean should also break long periods of sitting by getting up every 45 minutes and doing dynamic movements such as climbing up the stairs or jogging in place, to improve pelvic circulation.

Additionally, he recommends keeping the body mass index between 18.5 and 24, losing weight if needed.

Also read: 32-year-old donor from US travels around the world to donate sperm, aims to father 100 children by end of 2025

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Featured image adapted from Drazen_ on Canva, Aleksandr Grechanyuk on Canva.