Evaluation of trend in semen analysis for 11 years in subjects attending a fertility clinic in India

The data on semen analysis of subjects attending the Fertility Clinic at NIHFW (National Institute of Health and Family Welfare) Munirka New Delhi for the last 11 years were analyzed to verify the claims and speculations on declining sperm counts in men. Approximately 10 % of the records every year starting from 1990 to 2000 (numbering 1176 in total) were randomly selected for analysis. Subjects with azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia were excluded from analysis. The average age of the men attending the infertility clinic was 31.2 years. The average semen volume and sperm count were found to be (2.6±0.1) mL and (60.6±0.9) ×106/mL respectively. No significant decline in sperm counts was observed in any year during the entire study period. Only 1.8 % of the total number of sperm counts in the random sampling were less then 20×106/mL. On the basis of WHO criteria on motility the total percentage of non-progressive and non-motile sperm in the ejaculate was higher (63 %) as compared to the combined categories of slow and rapid linear progressive. The present study has confirmed similar findings from other different countries that declining sperm counts in humans is not a global phenomenon. (authors)