Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Miscarriage is often treated as a problem rooted in the pregnant partner, but emerging research suggests sperm may play a bigger role than many people realize. Science journalist Sarah Elizabeth Richards joins Science Quickly to discuss how growing evidence links sperm DNA damage to recurrent pregnancy loss, why decades-old tests for such damage are only now gaining wider recognition and how lifestyle changes may help improve sperm health and pregnancy outcomes.
Recommended Reading:
Damaged sperm might be the true cause of repeated miscarriages
scientificamerican.com/article/sperm-with-dna-damage-might-be-the-true-cause-of-repeated-miscarriages
E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!
Discover something new every day. Subscribe to Scientific American: scientificamerican.com/getsciam
And sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter: scientificamerican.com/account/email-preferences
Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Marielle Issa and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.
#pregnancy #miscarriageawareness #reproductivehealth #reproduction
Miscarriage is often treated as a problem rooted in the pregnant partner, but emerging research suggests sperm may play a bigger role than many people realize. Science journalist Sarah Elizabeth Richards joins Science Quickly to discuss how growing evidence links sperm DNA damage to recurrent pregnancy loss, why decades-old tests for such damage are only now gaining wider recognition and how lifestyle changes may help improve sperm health and pregnancy outcomes.
Recommended Reading:
Damaged sperm might be the true cause of repeated miscarriages
scientificamerican.com/article/sperm-with-dna-damage-might-be-the-true-cause-of-repeated-miscarriages
E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!
Discover something new every day. Subscribe to Scientific American: scientificamerican.com/getsciam
And sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter: scientificamerican.com/account/email-preferences
Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Marielle Issa and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.
#pregnancy #miscarriageawareness #reproductivehealth #reproduction
