SEED Healthy Sperm Program

Infertility affects one in every six couples who are trying to conceive. On average, when a couple experiences fertility challenges, we see that 30 percent of the time it is sperm related.

Your physician will ask you to abstain from ejaculation for a period (2-3 days) before your semen analysis. Abstinence that is too long or too short may impact your results, so following your physician’s guidelines is essential. If you are producing your sample at home, it’s critical that you return it to the clinic within 90 minutes of production, as sperm quality steadily decreases post-ejaculation.

TRIO is one of the few clinics that uses ZyMōt technology to help filter the best sperm when high DNA fragmentation is a concern. When used during IVF treatment, this patented approach isolates the progressively motile sperm in the final sample. More motile sperm improves the chances of a successful pregnancy.

When looking at sperm problems, we evaluate both sperm count and sperm quality. A variety of factors can affect sperm health, such as:

• Hormonal issues
• Idiopathic reasons
• Genetic causes
• Urogenital abnormalities (congenital or acquired)
• Immunological causes
• Urogenital infections
• Sexual dysfunction
• Malignancies
• Medications or drugs
• Environmental toxins
• Select surgeries

Individuals or couples may participate in the SEED program for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to:

• they are planning to conceive or are starting fertility treatment
• they want to improve their sperm health for the future
• they have had a vasectomy or vasectomy reversal

We look at several factors that contribute to sperm health, including:

• Semen viscosity: Is the seminal fluid thick or thin so the sperm can swim properly?
• Sperm concentration: How many sperm are available in the semen?
• Sperm motility: How many sperm are moving (the combination of progressive, non-progressive, and non-motile)? 
• Total motile sperm count: A calculation of your sperm quantity and quality.
• Sperm morphology: Is the sperm the proper size and shape (heads, tails, bodies)?
• Post-thaw: A small portion may be frozen and thawed to determine if you want to test whether cryopreservation is possible.

Yes, advancing age can affect both sperm count and quality since there is a gradual decline in both — particularly after the age of 50. Older age is also associated with an increased risk of genetic abnormalities.

It takes two (egg and sperm) to have a baby. Therefore, it is not a surprise that low-quality sperm has been shown to contribute to poor reproductive outcomes, even with IVF, such as low embryo yield and pregnancy loss.

No! You can "self-refer" to SEED. The first step is to book a free phone consultation with a TRIO Care Navigator to ask questions and ensure that you're a candidate for the program. If you choose to proceed, then we will send you the initial health intake forms. Our SEED fertility specialist will review these forms and book an appointment with you if further clarification is necessary.

A requisition for bloodwork and DNA fragmentation (semen analysis) will then be sent to you to complete at TRIO. An appointment will be booked to review your results with one of our Reproductive Endocrinologists. If a diagnosis of sperm factor infertility is provided, then you’ll get started on a personalized sperm health treatment plan.