# Sperm DNA Fragmentation



## Sweet Peas (Mar 23, 2009)

Hi all,


I am not sure if this is the right place to post this, so please relocate it if there is somewhere better suited.


I'll give a little background first..


I have POF as a result of cancer treatment as a teenager, and therefore DH and I have always known that DEIVF was our only option for children, we have had two cycles (with two different donors), with both being negative. The first cycle we had 12 eggs, all fertilised, at day 3 we had about half a dozen good quality embryos and a couple of average looking ones, however by day 5 we had only two poor quality blasts. At our cycle follow up meeting the doctor put the rapid decline after day 3 down to bad luck. For our second cycle we had 15 eggs, 14 fertilised, by day 2 we had 7 (3 average, 4 poor). These were then frozen due to my lining breaking down, but we requested a meeting with the consultant and embryologist to discuss why the same decline had taken place. The consultant was again insistent that despite using different donors for each cycle it was just bad luck, and that he wouldn't recommend any changes or further tests for our third (and final NHS) cycle. The embryologist was fairly quiet throughout. When the embryos were defrosted only one survived, and was rated as being very poor.


We have been doing our own research (who doesn't?!) about why this might be happening and have come across sperm DNA fragmentation. DH's SA results have always been good, and out of the total of 27 eggs only one hasn't fertilised, but we are aware that SA is a rather blunt tool. We have asked about having the fragmentation test carried out, but our clinic doesn't offer it. 


We have looked about an a private clinic near by offers it for about £700. Our dilemma is whether we have the test done before our next cycle (we have no idea when this will be), and then get DH started on the vitamins etc if there is a problem, and have a repeat test done (again before our next cycle), which will be in the region of a total of £1500 including appointments etc. Or do we put him on the vitamins anyway and hope for the best/have one test done before our next cycle, and focus on saving for a private cycle once our NHS attempts are used up?


Also, does anyone know if sperm DNA fragmentation is hereditary?


Or, if anyone has any clues about what, if anything, might be causing the rapid decline then please let me know. The staff at our clinic are nice, but their approach is rather square peg, round hole. We get the impression that because we first went to them with a diagnosis (my POF), they are refusing to consider that there might be any other issues.


Sorry this post is so long, and thank you for any help you might be able to offer.


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## Sweet Peas (Mar 23, 2009)

Hi,


Thank you so much for replying, and I am so sorry to read about the rough time you have had.


I have added all the vitamins for DH to my shopping list and I'll get him on them ASAP. He recently cut out coffee, and he doesn't smoke or drink, so we're part way there already, and I am sure he'll be delighted at not having to do any strenuous exercise!


I am almost certain that we'll have three months for him to take the vitamins (I suspect we'll have an awful lot longer than three months before our next cycle!). We have our follow up appointment for the second cycle in a couple of weeks, so I am going to push the issue of fragmentation with them - I feel so much more confident in pushing it knowing that it's not just me grasping at straws for a reason why things haven't gone to plan!


Do you know if sperm DNA fragmentation is genetic at all? DH's parents had a lot of trouble having him, and lost several babies before he was born. I mentioned it to the consultant when I first brought the issue of sperm fragmentation up and he said there was no link. It just seems too much of a coincidence that high fragmentation causes miscarriages and his parents had at least 4/5, then all of a sudden had him with no problems.


Worst case scenario, we'd definitely look into donor sperm. We're fairly open minded because of my situation and I don't think it'd be too much of a leap to accept donor sperm too.


Thank you so much again - I really appreciate you taking the time to reply. I wish you both the best of luck with everything, I hope you'll get a happy ending soon.


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