Recently, Mr. Wang, who was actively preparing for pregnancy, caught a heavy cold due to the changing weather, which was hot and cold, and he couldn’t sleep overnight worrying about whether the cold would affect sperm quality. Will the cold affect sperm, and will it have an impact on the success rate of pregnancy and fetus? Let’s witness whether Mr. Sperm can also get sick. After sperm meets cold A common cold without fever has little effect on human sperm, but if combined with a fever and a body temperature over 38°C, it may have an adverse effect on sperm. Studies have shown that semen quality is greatly affected by body temperature, and the most appropriate temperature for men’s testicles to produce sperm is 35.6-36.0°C, 1-1.5°C lower than the normal body temperature. Fever, sauna baths, commonly used very hot water showers or spending too much time in the sauna can heat the scrotum and reduce sperm production or appear dead sperm. Studies have shown that heat during sperm meiosis and increased testicular temperature affect sperm density. It can also lead to poor sperm motility and high malformation rates. However, changes in sperm quality caused by short-term fever are reversible. A high fever lasting more than two weeks significantly reduces sperm viability, but sperm viability can return to normal after 1 week of return to normal body temperature. The effect of viral flu on semen Viral flu, especially in patients with swollen and painful testes, has a greater impact on the human reproductive system. The inclusion bodies of virally infected germ cells can be detected in the semen of patients in the acute phase of viral flu, and patients with swollen and painful testes can also lead to chronic pathological changes in the testes, which can cause testicular atrophy in severe cases, and sometimes also cause azoospermia or a severe reduction in sperm count. Because the pathological changes are gradual, it takes about 10-20 years after the acute phase for the maximum damage to the testis to manifest itself gradually. Although the mumps virus has a greater impact on the reproductive system, there is no need to be overly alarmed, and the impact on the reproductive system is limited as long as it is not combined with painful swelling of the testicles. What should I do if I get a cold during pregnancy preparation? First of all, you should understand the effect of cold on sperm and not worry too much. If you have a simple common cold without high fever, it will have little effect on the quality of sperm. Secondly, it is recommended to consult the respiratory department of the local hospital and consider the treatment with drugs that affect semen quality. Many patients are worried about the effect of drugs on sperm and fetus, so they refuse to use the drugs, resulting in the aggravation of the cold or even the combination of other complications, which in turn has a greater impact on sperm quality. In addition, for patients with common cold or viral cold accompanied by high fever, it is recommended to temporarily suspend trying to conceive if you are trying to conceive naturally and consider trying to conceive after the cold has recovered. For patients who are undergoing IVF, if they do not have long lasting high fever or swollen testicles, they can continue IVF with little effect on IVF. If they have long lasting high fever or swollen and painful testicles, it is recommended to consult further at the IVF center for a comprehensive assessment of their condition to determine whether they can continue IVF. As long as you deal with it correctly, it will not have much impact on your pregnancy preparation.