Evaluation of a large cohort of men presenting for a screening semen analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine: [1] what percentage of men in an infertile relationship will have a semen abnormality, [2] the average value for each semen parameter in this group of men, [3] the distribution of abnormal semen parameters in this group, and [4] if our data support the hypothesis that sperm concentration is declining.


METHODS
Retrospective cohort study.


METHODS
County hospital university-based infertility clinic.


METHODS
Male partners of women presenting for an infertility evaluation.


METHODS
Semen specimens were collected after 2-5 days of abstinence.


METHODS
Sperm concentration, motility, and morphology.


RESULTS
Fifty-two percent of samples had at least one sperm abnormality based on World Health Organization criteria. Fifty-one percent had an abnormality in sperm motility, 18% in sperm concentration, and 14% in sperm morphology. Four percent of the patients were azoospermic.


CONCLUSIONS
No decline in sperm density was revealed in semen collected by men presenting for an initial screening semen analysis.
Acacio
B D
BD
Los Angeles County/University of Southern California School of Medicine, Women's and Children's Hospital, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Gottfried
T
T
Israel
R
R
Sokol
R Z
RZ
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012661:Semen / Q000502:physiology*; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*