Final answer:
For a client with a very low sperm count, lifestyle modifications might include optimizing diet and sexual activity timing before semen collection. In severe cases, procedures like intracytoplasmic sperm injection and sperm washing can significantly aid in fertility treatments.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a nurse is advising a client who has a very low sperm count, one important lifestyle modification would be to optimize conditions for sperm production and function. Before collecting semen for analysis or use in fertility treatments, the person should be well-fed to potentially increase sperm output and should abstain from sex for at least three days, but not be under prolonged sexual rest due to the risk of a higher percentage of degenerating spermatozoa. If a client's sperm count is exceptionally low or the sperm have difficulty with motility or binding to an egg, an assisted reproductive technology such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) could be recommended.
During the ICSI process, a single sperm is directly injected into an egg. Furthermore, sperm washing is recommended to remove seminal fluid, which contains fertilization promoting peptide (FPP) that can prevent capacitation of the sperm in high concentrations, and also to concentrate the sperm count per milliliter. Methods for sperm washing can greatly improve the sperm's ability to move towards the egg, with procedures often including mixing the sperm with nutrient-rich fluid, centrifugation to separate out pure sperm, and possibly the addition of substances like platelet-activating factor to enhance pregnancy rates.