title: Semen quality of male partners of infertile couples in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to evaluate seminal fluid indices of male partners of infertile couples so as to identify the current status of the contributions of male factor to infertility in our environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a prospective study of the seminal fluid indices of consecutively consenting male partners of infertile couples seen at the Fertility and Endocrinology Research unit of the Department of Obstetrics Gynaecology and Perinatology, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Ile-Ife between May 2004 and June 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of the semen analysis of 661 male partners of the infertile couples were retrieved and analyzed. The patterns of semen parameters noted in infertile males were oligozoospermia, teratozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, azoospermia, oligoteratozoospermia, oligoasthenozoospermia, and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia, asthenoteratozoospermia found in 25.6%, 18.5%, 11.5%, 6.2%, 3.2%, 2.3%, 2.1%, and 0.9%, respectively. Among the age groups, age group 31-40 had a higher prevalence of oligozoospermia (13.3%) while among the occupational groups, the civil servants had the highest prevalence of oligozoospermia (12%). There was a high of level of leucocytospermia and bacterial infections in both normospermic and oligospermic semen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed a high rate of abnormal semen quality of male partners of infertile couple in our environment and is an indication for the need to focus on the management of this condition and the institution of preventive program for male infertility. There is urgent need for advocacy for men to accept responsibility for their contribution to infertility and to reduce stigmatization and ostracizing of women for infertility.
authors: Infertility and Endocrinology Research Unit, Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Perinatology, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. alexandrerowolabi@yahoo.com
authors: A T
authors: AT
authors: Owolabi
authors: O B
authors: OB
authors: Fasubaa
authors: S O
authors: SO
authors: Ogunniyi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055101:Semen Analysis; D012747:Sexual Partners