Semen characteristics of fertile and subfertile men in a fertility clinic and correlation with age

Background: The characteristics and semen quality in the men of different populations have been reported, though such data are lacking in Saudis. Objectives: (i) To characterize the semen parameters of fertile and subfertile men, (ii) To study the prevalence of abnormality of semen parameters in the subfertile group, and (iii) To identify the relationship between semen parameters and age.Methods: This study included 49 fertile and 160 subfertile men and 76 men with unproven fertility attending a fertility clinic in Riyadh. Their semen parameters were estimated, statistically analyzed, characterized, and correlation studies were conducted. Results: The median age of the fertile and subfertile groups was quite similar. Significant differences were demonstrated in the median values of sperm concentration (98.6 · 10^6/ml vs 14.5 · 10^6/ ml, P 0.001), progressive sperm motility (58% vs 40%, P 0.001), and abnormal sperm morphology (55% vs 75%, P 0.001) between fertile and subfertile men. The percentage of normal semen viscosity was higher in fertile men, whereas the median semen volume values were nearly similar in the fertile and subfertile men (2.5 vs 2.75 ml). The prevalence of asthenozoospermia (36%) and azoospermia (26%) among subfertile men was the highest among other semen abnormality categories. There was an inverse correlation between the age and both sperm motility and semen volume in the investigated groups. Conclusion: The main semen parameters in the fertile and subfertile subjects in this study differ significantly and the age was demonstrated to be correlated inversely with sperm motility and semen volume. Further studies in other regions of Saudi Arabia are needed.