FFP 617 | Is Sperm Quality A Vital Sign For Men?

In this episode, Lisa explores a landmark Danish study — the largest of its kind — examining the relationship between sperm quality and life expectancy in nearly 80,000 men followed for up to 50 years. The headline finding: men with the highest total motile sperm counts lived an average of 2.7 years longer than men with the lowest counts, and this association held consistently across multiple semen parameters, including sperm concentration, semen volume, and total sperm count. Lisa walks through her five key takeaways from the research, including how pre-existing illness did not account for the association and why men with azoospermia fell into a distinct category of their own. The discussion raises a compelling question for practitioners: could semen parameters function as an early biological signal of underlying health — much like the menstrual cycle does in women? This episode offers an evidence-informed lens for thinking about male reproductive health beyond fertility outcomes alone.

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This episode is sponsored by Lisa's new book Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lily Nichols! Grab your copy here!

Would you prefer to listen to the audiobook version of Real Food for Fertility instead? 🎧 Listen here!

This episode is also sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program! Apply now to join the waiting list for our next class!

Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today!

📚 If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Fifth Vital Sign, grab it here! Would you rather listen to the audiobook version of The Fifth Vital Sign? 🎧 Listen here!