Some miscarriages, related to men: Mr. Liu’s wife miscarried when she was two months pregnant, and the couple came to the fertility center for a consultation. When the doctor asked Mr. Liu to check his semen, Mr. Liu was still reluctant, thinking that miscarriage was a woman’s problem and had nothing to do with men. The semen test results revealed that Mr. Liu’s sperm DNA fragmentation rate was as high as 60%. Mr. Liu was confused: can bad sperm cause miscarriage? The doctor told Mr. Liu that the high rate of sperm DNA fragmentation could be the culprit of his wife’s miscarriage. The high rate of sperm DNA fragmentation is like the yolk of an egg falling apart, which looks like good sperm but has internal quality problems, leading to poor quality embryos and easy miscarriage. Therefore, miscarriage is not only a woman’s business, but also a man’s bad sperm can lead to miscarriage. The DNA is located in the nucleus of the sperm and is the carrier of genetic information, similar to the yolk of an egg. Damage to sperm DNA may appear to be “good”, but it is less functional, and although it does not affect egg fertilization, it can lead to embryo failure and miscarriage. In patients with severe sperm DNA damage, even though the egg can be fertilized and divide normally, it can still lead to miscarriage. Three types of men, should be tested for sperm DNA fragmentation rate: Traditional routine semen examination can reflect semen quality in terms of sperm concentration and sperm vitality, but its value in evaluating sperm function is limited and cannot directly reflect sperm fertilization ability and impact on embryo development. Studies have shown that the rate of sperm DNA fragmentation in patients with infertility is significantly higher than that in normal subjects. Even if the other indicators of semen are normal, it does not mean that the sperm DNA fragmentation rate is normal. There are many patients with normal results of routine semen analysis who were previously diagnosed with unexplained infertility, but now have been tested and found to have high sperm DNA fragmentation rates and have been given the opportunity to have children after targeted treatment. Therefore, testing for sperm DNA fragmentation rates is very important for infertile patients. Especially for infertile patients who are ready to use the expensive IVF technique, sperm DNA fragmentation is especially important because studies have shown a strong correlation with IVF success rates. First-generation IVF techniques (IVF) require fully functional sperm for successful fertilization, and high sperm DNA fragmentation rates may result in reduced sperm fertilization and egg fertilization failure. The second generation IVF technique (ICSI) can inject sperm directly into the egg, and it is possible for DNA damaged sperm to fertilize the egg and develop into an embryo. However, DNA-damaged sperm can lead to poor quality embryos after fertilization, resulting in serious disruptions in embryo development, which can lead to failure of implantation into the uterus and defective embryo development, and ultimately to miscarriage. Therefore, testing of sperm DNA fragmentation rate is recommended for men whose spouses have a history of spontaneous miscarriage, patients with unexplained infertility, and those who are preparing for IVF. Men who want to undergo eugenic screening before pregnancy can also have their sperm DNA fragmentation rate tested for early detection of problems and early treatment. Currently, several large fertility centers, including the Reproductive Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, already have a sperm DNA fragmentation rate test available. Fragmentation rate can be reduced: Bad lifestyle habits such as smoking, drug abuse, alcoholism and staying up late, long-term exposure to polluted air, high heat, toxic and radioactive work environments, infections and inflammation of the reproductive glands (epididymitis, orchitis, prostatitis or seminal vesiculitis, etc.), leukocytosis in semen, varicocele and other diseases are all harmful factors that lead to an increased sperm DNA fragmentation rate. The first step should be to correct bad habits (smoking, drug abuse, alcoholism and staying up late), regulate work stress and improve sleep quality; avoid long-term exposure to harmful environments such as high temperatures, polluted air, toxic substances and radiation exposure. Then, under the guidance of a professional male physician, treatment of related physical diseases, such as antibiotics for reproductive gland infections and inflammation, surgery for varicocele, herbal or Chinese medicines, medications such as vitamin E and vitamin C, and some micronutrient supplementation treatments can also help reduce the rate of sperm DNA fragmentation. These treatments help patients to have a successful and healthy baby.