Semen Parameters in Infertile Nigerian Males: A critical Study

Abstract

Introduction: Approximately one couple in ten are infertile during their reproductive lives. Male factors alone are responsible for infertility in 24% of couples and contributed to the cause in another 24%. The most important male factor is the semen parameter. Seminal fluid analysis is therefore the cornerstone of male infertility investigations.
All the indicators suggest that a man had a reasonable chance of fertility with a sperm density exceeding 20x105/ml with more than 50% motility and a seminal volume of at least 1.5ml.
Objective: To study the seminal parameters in infertile Nigerian male with a view to determining the distribution or pattern of semen abnormalities in them.
Materials and Methods: Semen from 1129 infertile males were analyzed using conventional methods. The motility and the sperm density were estimated.
The volume transparency, viscosity, the percentage of abnormal forms and abnormal cellular components were noted.
The data were analyzed and displayed in tabular and graphical forms.
Results: Two hundred and eighteen (218) (19.3%) were found to be azoospermic, 608 (53.85%) were oligospermic and 303 (26.83%) had normal sperm density.
The motility at 2 hours was less than 50% in 66% of the specimen studied. The seminal volume was less than 1.5ml in 30.63% of the specimens. 36.7% had more than 50% abnormal forms. 23.7% and 12.8% of the specimens had significant white blood cells and immature/premature spermatogenic cells respectively.
Conclusion: The most common abnormalities in the semen parameters of infertile Nigerian males are asthenozoopermia and oligoszospermia. Conventional technique of semen analysis gives reliable results on sperm characteristics. However, in some situations other tests may be necessary for complete evaluation.


Keywords: Semen parameters Male infertility Nigerian

NQJHM Vol. 15 (2) 2005: pp. 87-91