Health / Vital signs: Sperm counts

Men with low sperm counts whose partners wish to conceive should not try to 'save up' sperm by reducing the frequency of sexual intercourse, as has been advised in the past - instead they should have as much sex as possible around the time of their partner's ovulation.

A report in the Lancet points out that the traditional advice is based on evidence that in men with normal sperm counts, closely spaced ejaculations lead to a rapid decrease in total sperm content. More recent studies show, however, that frequent sex does not reduce low sperm counts and may help to increase them.