title: Semen quality analysis of military personnel from six geographical areas of the People's Republic of China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the determinants of semen quality in a large sample of military personnel from different geographical areas of the People's Republic of China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six representative geographical regions in China: Beihai, Lhasa, Germu, Xinzhou, Huhehaote, and Mohe.
  
  
  METHODS
  1,194 army personnel aged 18 to 35 years at the time of their inclusion in the study, sampled between 2007 and 2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semen volume (in milliliters), sperm concentration (in millions per milliliter), percentage of motile spermatozoa, total sperm count (in millions), and relative risk of subfertility.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median values were 3.0 mL for semen volume, 39.4×10(6) per mL for sperm concentration, 120.1×10(6) for total sperm count, 15.8% for sperm rapid progressive motility, 30.1% for sperm progressive motility, and 43.9% for total motility. We found that 88.3% of the servicemen had at least one semen parameter below normal values according to World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations (1999), and 62.5% according to WHO recommendations (2010). Season, average altitude, and duration of sexual abstinence all were statistically significantly associated with semen quality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The men had markedly lower mean sperm concentrations, sperm counts, and sperm motility compared with WHO recommendations. Possible contributory factors included diet, lifestyle, climate, and altitude.
authors: School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Capital Medical University, The Airforce General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors: Zhikang
authors: Z
authors: Zou
authors: Haixiang
authors: H
authors: Hu
authors: Manshu
authors: M
authors: Song
authors: Yanling
authors: Y
authors: Shen
authors: Xiuhua
authors: X
authors: Guo
authors: Kenneth
authors: K
authors: McElreavey
authors: Alan H
authors: AH
authors: Bittles
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D002980:Climate; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012621:Seasons; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012746:Sexual Abstinence / Q000502:physiology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult