DNA FRAGMENTATION INDEX of Sperm & Infertility

"DNA FRAGMENTATION INDEX is one of the tests we do routinely in some couples where we have had repeated IUI failure repeated IVF failure or history of smoking or history of long-term drug abuse or we feel that the abnormal sperms are very high or the female, the wife has undergone repeated abortions. First of all what is sperm DNA FRAGMENTATION INDEX? So it is kind of a sperm test which will test the integrity and damage DNA of the sperm has it and as we all know what is the DNA. DNA is a genetic material. So if the genetic material that is a DNA of the sperm is not good or fragmented or abnormal. Then obviously the chance of pregnancy is not so good and even if the couple the wife conceives with such a sperm, then the chances of abortion is high. So what do we do in such a couple is we do something called a sperm DNA FRAGMENTATION INDEX which is a sperm test and it will tell that how many percentage of the sperm are having a fragmented DNA. So we give the report in percentage twice the lesser the sperm DNA FRAGMENTATION INDEX the better is the sperm the higher the sperm DNA FRAGMENTATION INDEX or DFI. The sperm's capability of fertilizing the egg is not good. So when we use these kind of sperms in IVF even if we are doing a procedure called as ICSI, we may have fertilization failure . So ideally in such a patient what we do is we give them certain antioxidants advise them to change their lifestyles and if they have habits like smoking and all they should be quitting smoking definitely and if the sperm DNA FRAGMENTATION is very high that is more than 30 % then we do something called less directly removing the sperm from the testes where the sperm production happens. So those sperms where the sperm is freshly produced from the testes will have lower DFI or lower SPERM DNA FRAGMENTATION INDEX and we use these kind of testicular sperms for fertilizing the eggs in IVF"