The male fertility It has been the subject of numerous myths and popular beliefs that, in many cases, lack scientific support. Traditionally, it has been thought that prolonged abstinence improves sperm quality and increases the chances of achieving pregnancy.
However, recent research challenges this view and raises the importance of review usual guidelines regarding the care of men’s reproductive health. Interest in understanding how everyday factors influence fertility has increased in recent years, especially given the increase in consultations due to difficulties conceiving.
Family doctor Víctor Espuig questions the common belief about male fertility and provides recent data: “The longer a man goes without ejaculating, “The quality of his sperm is worse.”he states. This conclusion comes from a large meta-analysis promoted by the University of Oxford, in which data from more than one hundred human studies were combined.
Myths and evidence about sperm
This exhaustive review offers an updated perspective on factors that influence sperm health, evidencing the need to update both clinical recommendations and the information transmitted to the general population. The work highlights the importance of be based on scientific evidence and not only in inherited beliefs, which can generate wrong expectations and make it difficult to make informed decisions.
Contrary to the widespread recommendation of abstinence to accumulate sperm, Víctor Espuig explains in his TikTok (@victorespuig) the biological basis that refutes this idea: “Sperm are fragile cells. and with very little repair capacity. “The longer they are stored, the more they deteriorate, since oxidative stress ends up fragmenting their DNA,” describes the specialist. The explanation is based on the natural aging process of male reproductive cells, which are especially vulnerable to adverse conditions within the body.
Furthermore, prolonged exposure to factors such as body heat or the presence of toxins can enhance the damage and compromise the functionality of the sperm. Recent studies have shown that sperm DNA fragmentation is associated with a lower fertilization rate and may affect the viability of the pregnancy.
Quality vs quantity
Although the number of sperm increases after several days without ejaculating, Espuig warns that “many of them will already be damagedthey will be slower and will have a lower capacity to fertilize.” Accumulation, far from being an advantage, can become an obstacle for those seeking to conceive, since the quality of the sperm degrades as the days go by.
Furthermore, the motility and genetic integrity Sperm production are key factors for reproduction, and both parameters tend to decrease when the abstinence period is prolonged. Experts suggest that maintaining healthy habits, such as a balanced diet and avoiding excessive alcohol and tobacco consumption, can also positively influence semen quality.
The doctor himself summarizes the recommendation that emerges from the new evidence: the optimal thing to increase the chances of a natural pregnancy is to have sexual relations “every one or two days and not wait longer to try to accumulate.” This frequency allows sperm to be renewed regularly and maintain a balance between quantity and quality.
Specialists agree that updating recommendations on male reproductive health can contribute to improving results for couples seeking pregnancy and reduce anxiety linked to fertility myths. Furthermore, the dissemination of these advances is essential for both professionals and patients to adapt their strategies and expectations.
