Seminal fluid profile of male partners of infertile couples at Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso: a three year review

Abstract

Background: Infertility, according to the World Health Organization, has been defined as a disease of the reproductive system defined by the failure to achieve a clinical pregnancy after twelve (12) months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Studies around the world have proven that at the very least, fifty (50) million couples worldwide suffer from infertility and these figures vary from one part of the world to the other. Male factor contribution to infertility remains significant and semen analysis is a major way to determine its contribution.

Materials and Methods: This study involved retrieval of the case files of infertile couple attending gynaecology and urology clinics at the Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso over a three year period. The seminal fluid analysis results were retrieved from the case files and relevant information checked, reviewed and inputted in a tabular form in Microsoft Excel.

Result: A total of 194 couples were managed for infertility between January 2018 and December 2020. Out of this number, seminal fluid analysis was requested for 125 couples, of which only 69 results were returned and 56 seminal fluid analysis results were not returned to the clinic.

Conclusion: It was observed that 36% of infertility cases had no evidence to show that seminal fluid analysis was requested for during the course of management of these infertile couple. The implication of this is that there may be an oversight factor on the part of the requesting physician. Other possible reasons is because the female partners of infertile couples often make the trip to the infertility clinics alone hence the physician may have no choice but to investigate the female partner alone. Azoospermia (36%) was the major contributing factors for to male infertility.