Comparison of semen parameters in samples collected by masturbation at a clinic and at home
Received 22 February 2007; received in revised form 24 May 2007; accepted 24 May 2007. published online 20 July 2007.
Objective
To investigate differences in semen quality between samples collected by masturbation at a clinic and at home.
Design
Cross-sectional study.
Setting
Fertility center.
Patient(s)
Three hundred seventy-nine men assessed for infertility.
Intervention(s)
None.
Main Outcome Measure(s)
Semen was analyzed according to World Health Organization guidelines. Seminal markers of epididymal (neutral α-glucosidase), prostatic (prostate-specific antigen and zinc), and seminal vesicle (fructose) function were measured. Two patient groups were defined according to sample collection location: at a clinic (n = 273) or at home (n = 106).
Result(s)
Compared with clinic-collected semen, home-collected samples had statistically significantly higher values for sperm concentration, total sperm count, rapid progressive motility, and total count of progressive motility. Semen volume, proportion of normal sperm morphology, neutral α-glucosidase, prostate-specific antigen, zinc, and fructose did not differ significantly between groups. An abnormal sperm concentration (<20 × 106/mL) was seen in statistically significantly fewer of the samples obtained at home (19/106, 18%) than at the clinic (81/273, 30%), and the same applied to proportions of samples with abnormal (< 25%) rapid progressive motility (68/106 [64%] and 205/273 [75%], respectively).
Conclusion(s)
The present results demonstrate superior semen quality in samples collected by masturbation at home compared with at a clinic. This should be taken into consideration in infertility investigations.
aReproductive Medicene Centre, Scanian Andrology Centre, Malmö University Hospital, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
bDepartment of Clinical Chemistry, Malmö University Hospital, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
Reprint requests: Saad Elzanaty, M.D., Ph.D., Reproductive Medicine Centre, Scanian Andrology Centre, Malmö University Hospital, SE 205 02, Malmö, Sweden (FAX: 46-040-338266).
The study was financially supported by the Swedish Research Council (Stockholm, Sweden; Grant No 521-2002-3907), the Swedish Government Funding for Clinical Research (Lund, Sweden), the Crafoord Foundation (Lund, Sweden), the Ove Tulefjord Fund (Malmö, Sweden), and the Foundation for Urological Research (Malmö, Sweden).
ABSTRACT