title: Semen analysis in men from Mérida, Venezuela, over a 15-year period.
abstract: To determine the possible changes in semen quality of Venezuelan men from 1981 to 1995, a retrospective analysis of semen volume and sperm concentrations was carried out for 2313 men from infertile couples. According to the sperm counts the sample was categorized in four groups: A, 0 sperm; B, <20 x 10(6) sperm/mL; C, 20-200 x 10(6) sperm/mL; D, 2200 x 10(6) sperm/mL. The percentage of men in each group was 9.1, 18.8, 63. 1, and 9.0%, respectively. The frequency of azoospermia and oligozoospermia (groups A and B) did not change over the last 15 years. On the contrary, the frequency showed a significant increase in group C and a decrease in group D. The range of the means of semen volume was 2.6-3.6 mL, linear regression analysis did not show a decrease in seminal fluid volume over time. The range of the means of sperm concentrations were 6.2-12.0 x 10(6) sperm/mL, 73-100 x 10(6) sperm/mL), and 230-340 sperm x 10(6)/mL in groups B, C, and D, respectively. Linear regression analysis revealed a significant reduction in the means of sperm concentrations only in group D. Excluding the azoospermic group, the analysis of pooled data (B + C + D), did not show a significant change in the means of sperm density throughout time. In the semen samples with sperm counts below 200 x 10(6)/mL the means of sperm concentration did not change in the 15-year period of observation.
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Fisiopatología, Escuela de Bioanálisis, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tortolero
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bellabarba Arata
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lozano
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bellabarba
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Osuna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology*; D013076:Sperm Count; D014687:Venezuela