Sperm DNA Fragmentation and Related Male Fertility Insights

Sperm DNA Fragmentation and Related Male Fertility Insights

LCRH Fertility Insights

Where: BFS Fertility Conference, 2026

When: January 2026

What: Micro-Lectures

Topic: Sperm DNA fragmentation and related male fertility insights.

Speakers: Professor Ralph Henkel and Professor Jonathan Ramsay

Dr Chapman’s Key Takeaways:

I first met Professor Ramsay over ten years ago and we have been collaborating ever since, by offering one of the first joint integrated male and female fertility programs in the UK to improve couple outcomes. 

At BFS Fertility 2026, Professor Ramsay and Professor Ralph Henken presented a micro lecture on the topic of Sperm DNA Fragmentation and related male fertility. Included in their presentation are the following findings:

• About 90% of infertile men are seen primarily by non-andrologists or non-urologists.

• Men also attend health checks less frequently.

• GPs are generally not confident in examining varicoceles, leading to missed diagnoses.  

• As a result, men are less likely to be diagnosed early for preventable or critical issues (for example testicular cancer, cardiovascular problems).

• Full semen analysis can correlate with underlying poor health indicators.

• Male subfertility is emerging as a biomarker of overall male health (e.g., sperm quality reflecting systemic health).

The key points LCRH makes to our male patients include:

• Lifestyle can affect the integrity of the sperm. (e.g., smoking, caffeine, heat, BMI, illness). As sperm have approximately 120-day turnover, any healthy lifestyle changes can impact the quality of the sperm after 3 months.

• 15% of men with normal semen parameters are infertile. There are further tests which can help find underlying causes.

Specifically, regarding DNA Fragmentation:

• DNA fragmentation tests are often recommended due to the duration of infertility, miscarriages and semen analysis results. This test examines the sperm on a genetic level and assesses its fragility. This is advisable prior to IVF treatment as sperm with high DNA fragmentation are found to cause infertility, an increased failure rate of IVF and early miscarriage.

• Causes of High Single Stranded DNA Fragmentation may include oxidative stress (from smoking, infections, varicocele, poor diet, etc.), advanced paternal age, environmental toxins (pollution, radiation) and illnesses (e.g., diabetes, febrile illness) and lifestyle factors (stress, heat exposure, alcohol).

• Consequences of High Sperm DNA Fragmentation may include:

• Reduced Fertility / Natural conception is less likely: Even if sperm count and motility are normal, high DNA fragmentation can impair the sperm's ability to fertilize an egg or support embryo development.

• Higher time to pregnancy: Couples may take significantly longer to conceive naturally.

• Poor Embryo Development:  DNA damage in sperm can lead to defective embryonic development and result in poor blastocyst formation in IVF cycles.

• Increased Risk of Miscarriage: Embryos derived from sperm with fragmented DNA have a higher likelihood of early pregnancy loss, particularly first-trimester miscarriages.

LCRH is also actively involved in researching Double Stranded DNA Fragmentation:

• Based on the work of Professor Jonathan Ramsay, high levels of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) breaks in semen, measured specifically by the Extend® test, represent a severe form of sperm DNA damage. This is also often associated with recurrent miscarriages, failures of euploid embryos to develop after embryo transfer and poor embryo development. Standard semen analysis and single stranded DNA fragmentation tests might be within the normal range. 

• While some sperm damage is treatable, double-stranded breaks are often less influenced by traditional lifestyle changes or varicocele repair compared to single-stranded damage. A high dsDNA result would benefit from a consultation to discuss the implications in more detail.

On Semen Cultures and Male Microbiome tests:

• Semen culture tests look for infection or an imbalance in the microbiome. The presence of which is often associated with high levels of abnormal forms, reduction in fertilisation and blastocyst formation.  If infection is detected, a course of antibiotics/probiotics will be prescribed.

LCRH would like to thank the LOGGIXX team for including us in these meetings.

LCRH Fertility Insights present Dr Chapman’s key takeaways from the latest in leading fertility conferences and fertility research.