There is accumulating evidence linking sperm chromatin damage to poor reproductive outcome. The chromatin damage is associated
to sperm anomalies that manifest themselves as breaks in the sperm nuclear DNA, aberrant ratios of protamine and histones
in the chromatin, and the presence of apoptotic marker proteins in the ejaculated spermatozoa. This chapter examines the mechanisms
involved in generating chromatin damage during spermatogenesis in the human, the techniques used to test sperm chromatin and
how they may affect reproductive outcome, and how to reduce the risk of using spermatozoa with chromatin damage.
Key Words Sperm chromatin - ptosis - intracytoplasmic sperm injection - DNA damage - spermatogenesis