If men are hoping to live longer, they may need to take a second look at their sperm. Yes, it’s true! A recent study found that men’s sperm may reveal more about their future than just reproductive potential.
Sperm Quality and Longevity
What’s the secret to living longer? For men, it may be the quality of their sperm, as this article unpacks the findings of a recent study that suggests high-quality sperm may be the longevity booster that men have been searching for.
In a recently published study, a group of researchers analyzed the data of 78,284 Danish men who had their semen assessed between 1965 and 2015 at a public laboratory in Copenhagen due to self-reported couple infertility. The researchers calculated total sperm count and total motile sperm count (a sperm’s ability to move through the female reproductive tract to reach and fertilize an egg) in an effort to create a comprehensive picture of both quantity and quality.
Following the semen analysis, the researchers then tracked mortality outcomes for a median of 23 years, with some men followed for as long as 45 years and they found that during this period, 8,600 deaths occurred among the study participants.
Quality Sperm Means a Longer Life
“We calculated the men’s life expectancy according to their semen quality and found that men with the best quality could expect to live two to three years longer, on average, than men with the lowest semen quality,” – Dr. Lærke Priskorn, senior researcher at Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet and lead author
The findings, published in Human Reproduction, found that the better the semen quality, the lower the risk of premature death.
The researchers also noted that the link between semen quality and mortality appeared to be stronger among men with existing health issues. This then suggests that semen quality may work as a potential early warning sign,
“In men, it appears to be their semen profile that is providing the most significant information concerning their future health and well-being,” said John Aitken, a reproductive health expert and professor emeritus at the University of Newcastle in Australia, in an editorial published with the study.
What Affects Sperm Quality?
The study had notable limitations. For one, lifestyle factors like smoking, weight, and exercise were not directly measured. Also, there is limited global applicability due to it being a Danish study. Still, the findings do raise questions about which mechanisms may influence both sperm quality and overall health.
Answering this question in his editorial, Aitken suggests that oxidative stress may be to blame. This is triggered by lifestyle factors like smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, pesticides, poor diet, lack of exercise, and air pollution.
Improving Sperm Quality
It’s important to note that the latest findings fail to definitively establish causality. However, they do propose that working to improve sperm quality may subsequently improve general health.
In fact, the following ways can improve both sperm quality and give your health a much-needed boost:
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Eating a healthy diet
- Engaging in safe and protective sex
- Managing stress
- Exercising
- Quitting smoking
- Reducing alcohol consumption
Want to know more?
If you’re worried about sperm quality, you may also want to reduce your exposure to plastics. In fact, microplastics may be placing the future of the human population at risk, as one study identified microplastics in human semen.
References
Priskorn, L., Lindahl-Jacobsen, R., K, J.T., A, H.S., S, H.L., Kriegbaum, M., S, L.B., Siersma, V., L, A.C. and Jørgensen, N. (2025). Semen quality and lifespan: a study of 78 284 men followed for up to 50 years. Human Reproduction. [online] doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deaf023.
