LIVERMORE, Calif., Nov. 01, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sandstone Diagnostics will present study results evaluating the link between men’s sperm count and time to conception at the 2017 American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) annual meeting in San Antonio, TX. 

Since 2015, Sandstone Diagnostics has been in an ongoing collaboration with researchers from Stanford University and the Boston University Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO), an NIH-funded research study evaluating the effect of health and lifestyle factors on fertility among couples trying to conceive.  A subset of PRESTO couples were sent the Trak Male Fertility Testing System allowing the male partner to measure and report sperm concentration and semen volume from their home. In comparing those test results to the couples’ fertility outcomes over a 12-month timeframe, the researchers found that men with a total sperm count less than 50 million had only 0.54 times the odds of conceiving in any month than men with a total sperm count greater than or equal to 50 million.

“This is the first fertility study that has looked at year-long conception outcomes with men testing their sperm concentration and semen volume entirely on their own at their home,” said Greg Sommer, Sandstone’s Chief Scientific Officer and lead author on the study. “The data underscore the significant role that men play in the fertility process. Couples trying to conceive naturally are more likely to succeed when the male partner has a higher sperm count.”

Sandstone’s analysis follows a recent meta-analysis report from Israeli researchers showing that men’s sperm counts have been declining at a rate of approximately 1.4 percent per year since the early 1970s. That study has spurred newfound interest in more research and insight into what may be driving the sperm count decline, and how it will affect fertility rates.

“Sandstone’s Trak technology has opened entirely new opportunities in our field,” said Lauren Wise, Professor of Epidemiology at Boston University and senior author on the study. “Evaluating semen parameters in male partners has traditionally been very challenging as we’ve been limited to laboratory testing or mail-in freeze-and-thaw methods. Now with the Trak System, men can very easily, privately, and cost-effectively conduct this test on their own at home. That’s a game changer for us as we continue to study the health, environment, and lifestyle factors that impact fertility and pregnancy.”

The presentation, entitled “Using an in-home semen testing system to evaluate total sperm count and time to conception: a pilot study” will be presented at 11:45am CT today.

About Sandstone Diagnostics

Sandstone Diagnostics is a Bay Area consumer health company providing tools and educational services that empower men to test and improve their reproductive health. The company’s first product, the Trak® Male Fertility Testing System, is now available. For more information, please visit trakfertility.com.

About the Boston University Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO)

PRESTO is a web-based research study that examines whether lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, and medication use have an impact on fertility, miscarriage, and birth outcomes. PRESTO is a non-profit study being conducted at Boston University. It is funded by the National Institutes of Health. For more information, please visit http://presto.bu.edu.

About the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)

ASRM is a multidisciplinary organization dedicated to the advancement of the science and practice of reproductive medicine. The Society accomplishes its mission through the pursuit of excellence in education and research and through advocacy on behalf of patients, physicians, and affiliated health care providers. The Society is committed to facilitating and sponsoring educational activities for the lay public and continuing medical education activities for professionals who are engaged in the practice of and research in reproductive medicine. For more information, please visit asrm.org.

Contact:  Frank Tortorici (908) 875-8908