SpermComet - Chelsea Clinic

Patient Information

The human desire to have children is at heart of our

being. If couples find it hard to get pregnant, it can be one of

the most distressing times of their lives

We offer unique testing for male fertility

Thank you for your interest in the SpermComet® Test.

Since IVF began in 1978, we have looked at women’s fertility from every angle but neglected

the man. Now, Lewis Fertility Testing Ltd has changed all that with our state-of- the- art testing

for male infertility. This sperm DNA fragmentation test has a dual role.

- It provides a more accurate diagnosis of male infertility than a semen analysis.

- It also helps to guide you to the best form of infertility treatment; saving you biological

time, money and heartache.

Please find enclosed some useful information regarding making an appointment and

information about the test and the results.

If you should have any enquiries regarding your appointment, the test or your results, please

do not hesitate to contact us at;

Email: lab@lewisfertilitytesting.com

Telephone: (+44) 028 90 238915

With kind regards,

Sheena E M Lewis

CEO, Lewis Fertility Testing Ltd

SPERM DNA DAMAGE AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOUR TREATMENT

You and your partner are each going to give some of your DNA to your baby, so the health of

your DNA can impact on the health of your baby.

What is sperm DNA damage?

Research has shown that one of the reasons for increasing infertility around Europe is that

sperm quality has deteriorated. There are many reasons for this, such as smoking, poor diet

and environmental pollutants. All of these produce Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) that can

damage the DNA of your sperm.

Sperm DNA damage can lead to;

Fewer eggs being fertilized



 Embryos not developing as well as they should

Lower pregnancy rates



Miscarriage



What if the semen analysis is normal? Do we need to have sperm DNA damage as well?

Recent research shows that there is little correlation between a traditional semen analysis

results and the amount of DNA damage in your sperm. So even if your sperm counts are

normal, you may have DNA damage in your sperm. This means that just because a man has a

normal semen analysis, he may not be able to get his partner pregnant.

Sperm DNA testing can guide you to a diagnosis and give you more information for your

treatment choices.

What do sperm DNA damage results mean?

If there is less than 25% damage: You do not have a significant problem with sperm DNA

damage.

If there is more than 25% damage: You have a higher risk of infertility and so are less likely

to get your partner pregnant naturally. Also, IUI will be unlikely to work for you two.

If there is between 26-49% damage: You have a high chance of success with IVF.

If there is over 50% damage: You have a high risk of failure with IVF treatment. If treatment

is planned, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is more likely to be successful than IVF.

If there is over 50% damage and you have had failed ICSI treatment already: If you fall into

this group, you may wish to talk to your fertility specialist about ICSI with surgically retrieved

sperm. Unfortunately, this is an invasive procedure but it may give you a better success rate.

If ICSI has failed with ejaculated sperm and you do not wish to have sperm retrieved surgically,

the only alternative is donor sperm.

Risks to your sperm health

There are many factors in your life than can cause damage to your sperm DNA

Do you smoke?

One of the big problems with smoking is that it produces ‘free radicals’ and these can harm

your body and your sperm. Tobacco contains over 4,000 chemicals and lots of them are

toxic including cyanide, carbon monoxide, lead, cadmium and ammonia.

Do you drink too much alcohol?

Drinking more than 1 pint of beer or 1 large glass of wine a day increases your risk of

infertility, as well as cancers, strokes, high blood pressure, heart attacks and liver disease

Do you have a healthy diet?

How many take-away meals do you have a week? How many home meals do you eat? Poor nutrition weakens sperm.

Are you stressed?

Do you feel depressed? Always tired? Difficulty sleeping? Angry? Stress can trigger a range

of illnesses and may be associated with infertility.

Are you over weight?

Excess weight can lead to poor sperm quality and male infertility.

Do you take dietary supplements?

Unless you have oxidative stress or low levels of antioxidants, supplements can do harm as

well as good. Always test first before you start taking tablets.

Making an appointment

To make an appointment please contact LFT

by email: lab@lewisfertilitytesting.com

or

by tel: 028 90 238915

An appointment will be made for you to attend Chelsea Private Clinic, London (directions

below). Our trained staff will meet you there and answer any questions you have about the

test.

Before arrival

Before attendance please read the following information:

- Please abstain from any sexual contact for no less than 2 days and no more than 7

days. Failure to do so may affect your SpermComet ® results.

- Please also familiarise yourself with the sample collection protocol listed below

Sample Collection Protocol for SpermComet® Test

1. Pass urine before producing your sample.

2. Wash your hands and penis with soap to avoid contamination.

3. Rinse away the soap and dry hands and penis with a fresh

disposable paper towel.

4. Unscrew the lid of the sample container.

5. Ejaculate the whole sample into the container provided and

report any loss of sample.

6. Secure the lid on the sample container and return to clinic staff.

The Chelsea Clinic

Location and Contact Details

The Courtyard, 250 King’s Road, Chelsea London, SW3 5UE

Tel: 020 7565 0333 http://chelseaprivateclinic.com/contact.html

Please note there is no parking provided for patients

By bus Numbers 11/19/22/211/319/N11/N19/N22 pass the clinic daily. Please consult timetable for times.

By London Underground Sloane Square and South Kensington stations are located 10-15mins walk from the clinic.

By London Overground The closest station is Victoria with good access to the London Underground.