Definition: Poor Sperm Motility (Asthenospermia)

Chapter 2

Symptoms & Diagnosis

Poor sperm motility often has no noticeable symptoms, so it is usually discovered only when a couple has trouble conceiving. This chapter covers how it is tested. It describes at-home semen analysis kits for quick screening, which detect a protein called SP-10 found only in the testicles, and explains what they can and cannot tell you. It then walks through clinic-based testing, from giving a semen sample to the laboratory analysis, which offers a more detailed and confirmatory result, and touches on the value of being tested before fertility problems arise.

Chapter 3

Causes

The many possible causes of poor sperm motility. The chapter covers genetic conditions such as Klinefelter syndrome and congenital absence of the vas deferens, and explains how heat, including from varicocele, may reduce motility by affecting the energy sperm need to move. Infections such as gonorrhoea, chlamydia and epididymitis are discussed alongside the value of regular STI screening. Hormonal imbalances, lifestyle factors like diet, alcohol, smoking and stress, and environmental exposures to pesticides, heavy metals and radiation are also covered. The chapter notes that several factors often combine, and that low sperm count may occur alongside it.

Chapter 4

Treatment

Treatment for poor sperm motility depends on its cause, and this chapter outlines the main approaches. It covers lifestyle changes such as stopping smoking, limiting alcohol, managing weight and stress and avoiding heat, followed by dietary advice on a balanced diet, hydration and the possible role of zinc supplementation. Medical treatments are explained by condition, including antibiotics for infections, hormone therapy for imbalances and surgery such as varicocele repair. The chapter also describes assisted reproductive technologies, including intrauterine insemination and, for severe cases, ICSI, and ends on the reassurance that effective help is available.