Role of male factors in infertility and analysis of semen.

This study attempted to determine the male factors among infertile couples who attended consultation centers of obstetricians/gynecologists and endocrinologists in Dhaka Bangladesh. Data were collected from 260 male partners of the infertile couples using a structured questionnaire. Semen specimens were collected from each respondent after a sexual abstinence of 3 days. Physical (quantity density morphology and motility) chemical (pH) microscopic (sperm counts and pus cells) and serological [Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL)] examinations were conducted for each specimen. Data were analyzed and interpreted using univariate and multivariate descriptive analyses. The mean standard deviation of age was 30.35 +or- 2.8 years and the majority (65.4%) was between the ages of 30 and 35 years. Duration of infertility following marriage was 6-10 years for most of the subjects (63.1%). The commonest (63.1%) method of semen specimen collection was masturbation. Volume of ejaculate varied between 2 and 3 ml in the majority of the subjects (81.2%). Microscopic examination showed that 166 (63.9%) of the subjects were normospermic 54 (20.8%) were azospermic and 20 (7.6%) 13 (5%) and 7 (2.5%) respectively were severely moderately and mildly oligozoospermic. Only 8 (3.9%) showed necrospermia (dead spermatozoa). Only 34 (13%) subjects reported a past history of relevant illnesses. VDRL tests were negative in all the cases. A strong relationship of the presence of plenty pus cells was found with abnormal sperm motility (P < 0.00001). Further study is recommended to assess the actual male infertility factors in the population.