Until now, fertility specialists have debated whether refraining from sex in the days before attempting to conceive with their partner could increase a man's chances of fathering a child.

A study by Wollongong specialist in reproductive endocrinology and infertility David Greening at Sydney IVF has found ejaculating daily substantially improves the genetic quality of sperm without lowering sperm counts enough to impair fertility.

At the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Amsterdam this week, Dr Greening said the findings could have important implications for couples trying to conceive spontaneously or undergoing assisted reproduction.

"These results may mean that men play a greater role in infertility than previously suspected," he said.