COURSTEY  MIRROR  MUMBAI  MARCH 13
ASK THE SEXPERT
DR MAHINDER WATSA

1 I am a 24-year-old man. I did a test to have my sperm evaluated, — the count was 65 million/ml and the motility is 60 per cent. I tested positive for sperm agglutination but the rest of the report is normal. Can this cause infertility in the future? What treatment would you recommend for this?

Sperm agglutination refers to a condition where the sperms stick together at the head or tail, or from head to tail. Sperm are not supposed to stick together — they cannot swim that way. Sperm are supposed to be free moving and straight swimming with a healthy shape. The most common cause of sperm agglutination is the presence of sperm antibodies. The antibodies stick together; this is an immune system response. Up to 7 per cent of male infertility is attributed to sperm agglutination or sperm antibodies. Your doctor will discuss possible causes of your sperm agglutination. Antibiotics are typically used to cure an infection, but vitamin E and vitamin C supplements have been suggested to reduce clumping. Sperm clumping does not necessarily indicate infertility, but it could make it difficult for sperm to swim through the cervix.

2 I am a 30-year-old woman. My husband likes the area around my vagina to be clean shaven whenever we engage in intercourse. Is it safe for me to use any over-thecounter hair removing cream to remove the hair from that region? Is it advisable, or would it put me at risk of an infection? Also, may I ask my husband to use the same hair removing creams for removing the hair in his private parts?

To identify an allergy, try a patch test on a small area. If not allergic, then it’s safe to use for both males and females