Oxford Study: Sperm Deteriorates with Prolonged Storage

A new study from researchers at the University of Oxford has found that sperm stored in the male body deteriorates over time, leading to reduced quality that could affect fertility outcomes. The research, published this week in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, analyzed data from 115 human studies involving nearly 55,000 men and 56 studies across 30 nonhuman species, revealing that longer periods of sexual abstinence correlate with increased DNA damage, oxidative stress, lower motility, and decreased viability in sperm.

The findings challenge conventional advice for men seeking to conceive or undergoing fertility treatments. While abstinence is known to increase sperm count, the study shows it also ages individual sperm cells independently of the man's overall age. Sperm, produced continuously from puberty, can remain in the reproductive tract for days before ejaculation, but prolonged storage exposes them to oxidative stress, a form of cellular damage akin to rust, and energy depletion. Unlike most cells, mature sperm have limited repair mechanisms and quickly exhaust their energy reserves, making them vulnerable to deterioration.

In humans, the effects were statistically...