Program will measure sperm health improvements following 10 weeks of personalized coaching and diagnostics
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Upstream, the first personalized sperm health program for men, announces a pilot program in partnership with Legacy, Military Family Building Coalition (MFBC), and SiPhox Health launching October 15. The program will track improvements in sperm health among five active-duty service members and Veterans over a 10-week period, combining advanced diagnostics with personalized lifestyle coaching.
Each participant will complete an initial semen analysis using Legacy’s state-of-the-art mail-in sperm testing kit, which measures all key semen parameters including sperm concentration, motility, and morphology. They will also complete comprehensive biomarker screening with SiPhox at-home blood tests. Based on their results, participants will receive a customized fertility improvement plan developed by Upstream’s clinical team that includes five tailored, evidence-backed interventions and “gamified” milestones to promote adherence.
After 10 weeks, participants will retest to measure changes in fertility parameters, including sperm count, motility, and morphology, as well as hormone health. Early participants in Upstream’s program saw a 1.5–3x increase in total motile sperm count, a gold-standard fertility metric, over their 10-week program.
Male fertility is a growing public health concern. Research shows that sperm counts worldwide have dropped more than 50% over the last four decades. Military populations face additional challenges, with higher reported rates of infertility and lower sperm quality compared to the general public due to operational stress, exposure to environmental toxins such as burn pit particulate matter, and delayed family-building.
The preconception coaching that Upstream offers addresses another reality: A man’s sperm health — and overall wellness — prior to conception plays a critical part in not only his fertility, but the health of the pregnancy and future child. Emerging research has uncovered links between sperm health and miscarriage risk, placental development, risk of pre-eclampsia, and even the future child’s chance of metabolic or neurological disorders.
“For example, men who are overweight at conception pass on an inherited risk to their child for being overweight — independently of their lifestyle and choices,” explains Upstream advisor and epigenetic expert Raffaele Teperino, PhD.
“What a man does in the 10 weeks leading up to conception not only impacts his fertility, but also impacts the epigenetic information passed on in his sperm to future generations,” says Gigi Brett, founder of Upstream. “Being intentional about your health (both physical and mental) before conceiving is the number one way for a man to protect his family in the modern-day environment.”
“Our mission is to make male fertility care more accessible and approachable for those who need it most, and the military community is certainly on that list,” says Khaled Kteily, founder and CEO of Legacy. “This partnership joins other initiatives, including research with the US Department of Veterans Affairs, insurance coverage for Veterans and active-duty members of the military, and complimentary fertility preservation for special ops such as Navy SEALs and Green Berets, that allow us to continue to serve this community.”
Katy Bell Hendrickson, co-founder of the Military Family Building Coalition and military spouse, underlines this point. “Military families encounter unique obstacles when pursuing parenthood, from deployment-related separation to gaps in coverage for fertility care,” says Hendrickson. “This pilot has the potential to improve access to fertility resources and outcomes for service members and Veterans.”
About Upstream
Upstream is rewriting the playbook on preparing for fatherhood, by putting men and health at the center of the conversation. Upstream’s personalized 10-week program analyzes 100+ health inputs, including blood and semen biomarkers, and delivers five tailored interventions proven to increase health and fertility potential. By gamifying adherence and tracking measurable improvements, early participants saw a 1.5–3x increase in total motile sperm count (the gold-standard fertility metric) over 10 weeks. Upstream is proving that male preconception health can be transformed into a competitive, measurable, and generational advantage.
About Legacy
Legacy is the leading option for sperm testing and freezing, empowering men to take control of their reproductive health with at-home semen collection kits, expert clinical support, and secure storage. Founded in 2018, Legacy has tested and frozen over 50,000 samples — more than any lab or clinic in North America — and is trusted by leading insurance providers, hospital networks, and the US Department of Defense.
About Military Family Building Coalition
Military Family Building Coalition (MFBC) is the first nonprofit dedicated solely to helping active duty service members and their families build the families they want. MFBC educates military families on navigating the fertility and adoption landscape, raises public awareness about gaps in coverage and support, shares resources for treatment, preservation, and adoption, and partners with organizations to push for policy change. Its vision is an America where every active duty service member can pursue family building — regardless of deployment schedules, gender, fertility challenges, or financial situation.
About SiPhox Health
SiPhox Health is redefining at-home health diagnostics with comprehensive blood testing and seamless health tracking. SiPhox at-home tests analyze 50+ biomarkers from a simple, painless collection, integrating with wearable data, past third-party lab results, and personalized coaching in one intuitive dashboard.
With a mission to make testing faster, cheaper, and more accessible, SiPhox is leveraging silicon photonic biosensors to develop a device that delivers instant, lab-quality results at home and lowers costs by up to 100x. By combining cutting-edge hardware with actionable insights, SiPhox is building the future of personalized, preventative health.
Media contact:
Gigi Brett, CEO
Upstream
