Semen Quality in the General Population of Bulgaria ()
ABSTRACT
Background: With the accumulating evidence of semen difference between distinct
populations we decided to conduct a population-based prospective study to
assess the reproductive capabilities of the Bulgarian males. Objective: To evaluate the semen parameters in men from the general population of
Bulgaria. To analyze the effects of BMI (Body mass index) and tobacco smoking
on semen characteristics. Methods: 482 males without history of reproductive problems were included for
the purpose of this study. The duration of our study was from April to May in 2016 and April in
2017. The volunteers were subdivided based on their smoking status and on their
BMI. After semen collection, a conventional semen analysis was carried out
manually by trained embryologists in an andrology laboratory according to WHO
recommendations. The results were statistically analyzed and presented with
their mean values. Result(s): After semen analysis we report a mean of 3.29 ml for
semen volume, 40.68 × 106/ml for spermatozoa concentration,
128.38 × 106 for total sperm count, 52.54% of
total motile spermatozoa in the ejaculate and a mean percentage of
morphologically normal sperm standing at 9.6%. We did not
find a negative effect of tobacco smoking on semen quality; however
higher BMI is associated with lower sperm concentration per ml. Discussion and Conclusion(s): This is the first contemporary study, assessing semen quality in
Bulgarians. The results obtained here show the lower quality of semen in
Bulgaria, compared to other countries. No statistical differences were found
between the semen quality of nonsmokers and smokers. Higher BMI was found to be
associated with lower sperm concentration per milliliter.
Share and Cite:
Dobrinov, V. , Tacheva, D. , Rangelova, M. , Dobreva, M. , Georgieva, G. and Vladimirov, I. (2020) Semen Quality in the General Population of Bulgaria.
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
10, 1-12. doi:
10.4236/ojog.2020.101001.
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