Although the conventional semen analysis remains as the cornerstone of the male fertility evaluation, it is limited by not providing any functional assessment of the sperm. Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) testing has come to the forefront of functional sperm testing to help with the understanding of sperm health’s impact on fertilization rates, pregnancy rates, and miscarriage rates. There is controversy about when SDF testing should be offered to infertile men. Dr. Parviz Kavoussi was amongst the lead authors of an international study examining exactly when SDF testing is indicated. The study assessed global practices of when SDF testing is thought to be indicated, reviewed the indications listed for SDF testing by professional societies in the area of infertility, and finally provided expert recommendations of when SDF testing is needed. The conclusion ultimately reached was that SDF testing is useful in male partners of couples with unexplained infertility, recurrent miscarriages, men with clinical varicoceles (abnormal dilation of veins around the testicle on physical exam), and in couples with failed assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization. Dr. Kavoussi states, “It was a pleasure to collaborate with colleagues from across the globe to help bring this project together. It is very important to understand when we should be testing for SDF and how to use that information to help our infertile patients.”
Read the full publication, Controversy and Consensus on Indications for Sperm DNA Fragmentation Testing in Male Infertility: A Global Survey, Current Guidelines, and Expert Recommendations.
