*For couples trying to conceive, a new study suggests the time of year may be worth factoring into the conversation. Male sperm quality, the research shows, reaches its annual high point in summer and declines sharply as winter sets in.
According to Newsweek, the study was conducted by researchers at the University of Manchester, Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, and Cryos International in Aarhus, Denmark. The team analyzed semen samples from more than 15,000 prospective sperm donors aged 18 to 45, collected over a six-year period from 2018 through 2024. Sperm motility, which measures how efficiently the cells move, reached its annual high in midsummer and fell to its lowest in the final weeks of the year.
In contrast, sperm count and semen volume showed no meaningful seasonal changes. The sperm most capable of fertilizing an egg were far more prevalent heading into summer than in winter.
The climate comparison was particularly striking: men near clinics in both Denmark and Florida — two regions with vastly different weather — displayed the same seasonal patterns. “We were struck by how similar the seasonal pattern was in two completely different climates,” said paper author Professor Allan Pacey of the University of Manchester. He added, “Even in Florida, where temperatures stay warm, sperm motility still peaked in summer and dipped in winter, which tells us that ambient temperature alone is unlikely to explain these changes.”
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Researchers also considered ambient temperatures over the two months prior to sample collection, the period during which sperm mature. Even after accounting for heat, the seasonal pattern persisted. The team suggested other factors could be influencing the changes, including daylight, sleep quality, diet, stress, exercise, or illness.
The researchers noted that the findings may help guide the timing of fertility testing and treatment, but stressed that conception is possible throughout the entire year.
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