Men should visit a urologist or fertility specialist for an exam and to have their sperm tested. If a man knows that he may be a risk for sperm production problems, he should go to the doctor earlier. For example, if he has received chemotherapy, or if no ejaculate is released during ejaculation, an earlier visit is warranted. Men with female partners who are 38 years old or older should also seek a work-up before they have been trying for a year. (It's not clear what impact age has on sperm count; it appears to affect motility more than count.)

Treatment advances and technology has opened many doors to couples taking trouble conceiving. While some men may be treated for varicoceles, hormonal imbalances or blockages, other couples may benefit from in vitro fertilization (IVF), a method of assisted reproduction in which the egg is inseminated with a sperm outside the body. Even in men with very low sperm counts, there may be enough sperm in the testicle to use in an IVF procedure.

For most men, however, staying healthy can keep sperm healthy. So add a high sperm count to your list of reasons to keep fit and to pay attention to your health.

Christine Haran is a staff medical writer/editor at Healthology. Haran has been a health journalist for more than seven years, and her work has appeared in Woman's Day, MAMM Magazine, Bride's Magazine, Publishers Weekly and other publications. In 2003, she received an Excellence in Women's Health Research Journalism Award from the Society for Women's Health Research. Haran has a master's degree in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's degree in English from Skidmore College.