Trying to conceive? The first fraction of ejaculate most effective: study

Sperm emerging in the first half of an ejaculate load could be more numerous and of higher quality than those in the second part, according to a new study

That very first-emerging part of the ejaculate squirt contains sperm that are more numerous, mobile and featuring some of the highest quality DNA in relation to the entire load, according to a new study led by the Ginemed Assisted Human Reproduction Clinic in Seville, Spain.

In the study samples from 40 participants were collected in two consecutive chunks, using one container for each phase, as researchers examined them to see whether one installment or the other would be preferable for use in in-vitro fertilization (IVF).

"Ejaculate has always been considered as a whole," says Maria Hebles, co-director of the reproduction laboratory at Ginemed. "However, we believe that it is divided into two quite different phases due to its composition and physiological functions, aimed at achieving two equally important actions in terms of reproduction."

The study was published in Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine.