Semen quality of young men in Switzerland: a nationwide cross-sectional population-based study.
geographic variations
lifestyle factors
semen quality
sperm count
testicular cancer
young men
Journal
Andrology
ISSN: 2047-2927
Titre abrégé: Andrology
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101585129
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
11 2019
11 2019
Historique:
received:
19
12
2018
revised:
11
03
2019
accepted:
10
04
2019
pubmed:
23
5
2019
medline:
4
8
2020
entrez:
23
5
2019
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Sperm counts have been steadily decreasing over the past five decades with regional differences in the Western world. The reasons behind these trends are complex, but numerous insights indicate that environmental and lifestyle factors are important players. To evaluate semen quality and male reproductive health in Switzerland. A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted on 2523 young men coming from all regions of Switzerland, recruited during military conscription. Semen volume, sperm concentration, motility, and morphology were analyzed. Anatomy of the genital area and testicular volume was recorded. Testicular cancer incidence rates in the general population were retrieved from Swiss regional registries. Median sperm concentration adjusted for period of sexual abstinence was 48 million/mL. Comparing with the 5th percentile of the WHO reference values for fertile men, 17% of men had sperm concentration below 15 million/mL, 25% had less than 40% motile spermatozoa, and 43% had less than 4% normal forms. Disparities in semen quality among geographic regions, urbanization rates, and linguistic areas were limited. A larger proportion of men with poor semen quality had been exposed in utero to maternal smoking. Furthermore, testicular cancer incidence rates in the Swiss general population increased significantly between 1980 and 2014. For the first time, a systematic sampling among young men has confirmed that semen quality is affected on a national level. The median sperm concentration measured is among the lowest observed in Europe. No specific geographical differences could be identified. Further studies are needed to determine to what extent the fertility of Swiss men is compromised and to evaluate the impact of environmental and lifestyle factors. A significant proportion of Swiss young men display suboptimal semen quality with only 38% having sperm concentration, motility, and morphology values that met WHO semen reference criteria.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Sperm counts have been steadily decreasing over the past five decades with regional differences in the Western world. The reasons behind these trends are complex, but numerous insights indicate that environmental and lifestyle factors are important players.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate semen quality and male reproductive health in Switzerland.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted on 2523 young men coming from all regions of Switzerland, recruited during military conscription. Semen volume, sperm concentration, motility, and morphology were analyzed. Anatomy of the genital area and testicular volume was recorded. Testicular cancer incidence rates in the general population were retrieved from Swiss regional registries.
RESULTS
Median sperm concentration adjusted for period of sexual abstinence was 48 million/mL. Comparing with the 5th percentile of the WHO reference values for fertile men, 17% of men had sperm concentration below 15 million/mL, 25% had less than 40% motile spermatozoa, and 43% had less than 4% normal forms. Disparities in semen quality among geographic regions, urbanization rates, and linguistic areas were limited. A larger proportion of men with poor semen quality had been exposed in utero to maternal smoking. Furthermore, testicular cancer incidence rates in the Swiss general population increased significantly between 1980 and 2014.
DISCUSSION
For the first time, a systematic sampling among young men has confirmed that semen quality is affected on a national level. The median sperm concentration measured is among the lowest observed in Europe. No specific geographical differences could be identified. Further studies are needed to determine to what extent the fertility of Swiss men is compromised and to evaluate the impact of environmental and lifestyle factors.
CONCLUSION
A significant proportion of Swiss young men display suboptimal semen quality with only 38% having sperm concentration, motility, and morphology values that met WHO semen reference criteria.
Identifiants
pubmed: 31115178
doi: 10.1111/andr.12645
pmc: PMC6790593
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
818-826Subventions
Organisme : Swiss National Science Foundation
ID : NRP50
Pays : Switzerland
Organisme : Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology - SCAHT
Pays : International
Organisme : Fondation privée des Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève
Pays : International
Organisme : Medical Services of Swiss Army (DDPS)
Pays : International
Organisme : Medisupport
Pays : International
Organisme : FABER Foundation
Pays : International
Investigateurs
C Bouchardy
(C)
C Herrmann
(C)
M Mousavi
(M)
J-L Bulliard
(JL)
M Maspoli
(M)
A Bordoni
(A)
I Konzelmann
(I)
R Blanc-Moya
(R)
S Rohrmann
(S)
Informations de copyright
© 2019 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.
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