Normal reference ranges for semen quality and their relations to fecundity.
Several recent studies have shown that the fecundity of a man decreases progressively with sperm concentrations below 40 million spermatozoa per mL. Therefore, it is unfortunate that the new World Health Organization guidelines for semen analysis recommend lowering the lower cutoff value for normal sperm concentration from 20 to 15 million spermatozoa per mL. As a result large groups of subfertile men across the world may not receive appropriate andrological help in the future.
Skakkebaek
Niels E
NE
University Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen DK, Denmark. nes@rh.dk
D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008370:Manuals as Topic; D012016:Reference Values; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000592:standards*; D013076:Sperm Count; D014944:World Health Organization