title: Tobacco smoking is associated with decreased semen quality.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tobacco smoking is a public health issue and has been implicated in adverse reproductive outcomes including semen quality. Available data however provides conflicting findings. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of tobacco smoking on semen quality among men in Ghana.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, a total of 140 subjects were recruited, comprising 95 smokers and 45 non-smokers. Smokers were further categorized into mild, moderate and heavy smokers. Semen parameters such as sperm concentration, motility, viability and normal morphology were measured according to the World Health Organisation criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study showed that smokers had significantly lower semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, total sperm count, sperm morphology, free testosterone and follicle stimulating hormone (p <0.05 respectively), compared with non-smokers. Smokers were at a higher risk of developing oligospermia, asthenozoospermia and teratozoospermia (OR = 3.1, 4.2 and, 4.7; p <0.05) than non-smokers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results demonstrated a decline in semen quality in a dose dependent tobacco smoking manner.
authors: Department of Chemical Pathology, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences (S.B.A.H.S), University of Ghana, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana. henryasare-anane.gh@hotmail.com.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Asare-Anane
authors: Chemical Pathology Unit, Tamale Teaching Hospital, Tamale, Ghana.
authors: S B
authors: SB
authors: Bannison
authors: Department of Chemical Pathology, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences (S.B.A.H.S), University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
authors: Emmanuel K
authors: EK
authors: Ofori
authors: Department of Chemical Pathology, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences (S.B.A.H.S), University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
authors: R O
authors: RO
authors: Ateko
authors: Department of Medical Laboratory, U.H.A.S, Ho, Ghana.
authors: A T
authors: AT
authors: Bawah
authors: Department of Chemical Pathology, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences (S.B.A.H.S), University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
authors: S D
authors: SD
authors: Amanquah
authors: Department of Chemical Pathology, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences (S.B.A.H.S), University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
authors: S Y
authors: SY
authors: Oppong
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, S.M.H.S, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana.
authors: B B N
authors: BB
authors: Gandau
authors: Department of Medical Laboratory Science, S.M.H.S, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana.
authors: J B
authors: JB
authors: Ziem
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000209:etiology; D012661:Semen; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000379:methods; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Cigarette smoking; Hydrocarbon; Semen quality; Sperm morphology