"First Step to a Healthy Pregnancy! ... Free Semen Tests for Young People Increasing in Busan"

Korea Public Sperm Bank Research Institute Continues Early Infertility Diagnosis and Low Birthrate Overcoming Project with Busan City Support Last Year

As the phenomenon of low birth rates becomes more severe in Korea and the number of male infertility patients increases, the number of unmarried young men in the Busan area who received free semen analysis has also risen.

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This fact was confirmed by the results of the "2023 Free Semen Analysis Support Project for Unmarried Young Adults in Busan," conducted by the Korea Public Sperm Bank Research Institute (Chairman: Park Namcheol, Director of Centum General Hospital).

Since 2021, the institute has operated a free semen analysis program every year with support from Busan Metropolitan City to help young adults prepare for healthy pregnancies and improve fertility.

For a healthy pregnancy, semen analysis to assess male fertility is essential. This project aims to contribute to overcoming low birth rates by evaluating male fertility before marriage or pregnancy, enabling early diagnosis and treatment of infertility.

Semen analysis evaluates the volume of ejaculate, sperm concentration, motility, and morphology to assess natural conception ability, making it possible to prepare for a healthy pregnancy after marriage.

According to the project report, there were a total of 185 free semen analyses conducted last year, a 48% increase compared to 125 cases in 2022. This indicates a growing social awareness among young adults about the necessity and importance of fertility testing. In the recent test results, 154 individuals (83.2%) had normal sperm concentration, while 31 (16.8%) were abnormal. For sperm motility, 148 individuals (80%) were normal, and 37 (20%) were abnormal.

Since sperm fertilization ability in men decreases with age, it is important not only to treat underlying conditions related to infertility but also to maintain healthy lifestyle habits such as avoiding high-temperature environments, stress, and electromagnetic waves, as well as quitting smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, and practicing dietary control, all of which help improve the conditions for sperm production in the testes.

According to related statistics, the average age of first marriage for Korean men was 33.7 years in 2022. However, the function of sperm production in the testes gradually declines after age 35, and the frequency of genetic mutations in sperm even starts to increase.

These semen indicators can be easily checked through a semen analysis conducted after 3 to 5 days of abstinence. Recently, self-test kits have also been released, making it convenient to test at home.

Namchul Park, Director of the Korea Public Policy Bank Research Institute (Centum General Hospital Director).

Park Namcheol, Chairman of the institute, said, "The free semen analysis support project is not only for pre-marital and pre-pregnancy health management of unmarried young adults but also aims to develop management models for high-risk groups. With support from Busan Metropolitan City, academic societies such as the Busan Regional Andrology Society, major media outlets, and benefactors, we are carrying out this project as a social contribution initiative," adding, "Through this, we hope to improve fertility, prevent infertility, and ultimately help overcome low birth rates among the younger generation, whose age of marriage is being seriously delayed."

This year as well, the institute is conducting the project in collaboration with the Centum General Hospital Male Fertility Enhancement Center and urology clinics in the Busan area. The support targets include unmarried young men, prospective grooms before marriage registration, and men preparing for pregnancy after marriage registration but before having children.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.