Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Duration of sexual abstinence: epididymal and accessory sex gland secretions and their relationship to sperm motility.

Elzanaty, Saad LU ; Malm, Johan LU and Giwercman, Aleksander LU (2005) In Human Reproduction 20(1). p.221-225
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The data on the association between the abstinence period and sperm motility are conflicting. METHODS: Ejaculates from 422 men assessed for infertility were analysed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Seminal plasma neutral alpha-glucosidase (NAG), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), zinc and fructose were measured. Three groups were defined according to the length of sexual abstinence: G(2-3) (2-3 days), G(4-5) (4-5 days) and G(6-7) (6-7 days). RESULTS: The total percentage of progressively motile spermatozoa was significantly higher in G(4-5) compared with G(2-3) and G(6-7) (medians 55 versus 47 and 42%: P = 0.039 and P < 0.001, respectively). The percentage of spermatozoa with tail defects was... (More)
BACKGROUND: The data on the association between the abstinence period and sperm motility are conflicting. METHODS: Ejaculates from 422 men assessed for infertility were analysed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Seminal plasma neutral alpha-glucosidase (NAG), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), zinc and fructose were measured. Three groups were defined according to the length of sexual abstinence: G(2-3) (2-3 days), G(4-5) (4-5 days) and G(6-7) (6-7 days). RESULTS: The total percentage of progressively motile spermatozoa was significantly higher in G(4-5) compared with G(2-3) and G(6-7) (medians 55 versus 47 and 42%: P = 0.039 and P < 0.001, respectively). The percentage of spermatozoa with tail defects was significantly higher in G(6-7) compared with G(2-3) and G(4-5) (medians 14 versus 10 and 10%; P = 0.011 and P = 0.002. respectively). NAG was significantly lower in G(2-3) compared with G(4-5) and G(6-7) (medians 23 versus 34 and 34mU/ejaculate; P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). The same trend was found regarding zinc (medians 6 versus 8 and 8 mumol/ejaculate; P = 0.001 and P = 0.005, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Within the time interval recommended by the WHO (2-7 days), the length of the abstinence period is associated with sperm characteristics and should be taken into consideration when interpreting results of semen analysis. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
sexual abstinence period, sperm motility, fructose, NAG, PSA
in
Human Reproduction
volume
20
issue
1
pages
221 - 225
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000226199000032
  • pmid:15550495
  • scopus:12444303310
ISSN
0268-1161
DOI
10.1093/humrep/deh586
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Clinical Chemistry, Malmö (013016000), Pediatrics/Urology/Gynecology/Endocrinology (013240400), Department of Translational Medicine (013017500)
id
2c7752de-36ee-486b-83df-c997b843a22f (old id 130779)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15550495&dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:49:07
date last changed
2022-05-06 17:39:11
@article{2c7752de-36ee-486b-83df-c997b843a22f,
  abstract     = {{BACKGROUND: The data on the association between the abstinence period and sperm motility are conflicting. METHODS: Ejaculates from 422 men assessed for infertility were analysed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Seminal plasma neutral alpha-glucosidase (NAG), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), zinc and fructose were measured. Three groups were defined according to the length of sexual abstinence: G(2-3) (2-3 days), G(4-5) (4-5 days) and G(6-7) (6-7 days). RESULTS: The total percentage of progressively motile spermatozoa was significantly higher in G(4-5) compared with G(2-3) and G(6-7) (medians 55 versus 47 and 42%: P = 0.039 and P &lt; 0.001, respectively). The percentage of spermatozoa with tail defects was significantly higher in G(6-7) compared with G(2-3) and G(4-5) (medians 14 versus 10 and 10%; P = 0.011 and P = 0.002. respectively). NAG was significantly lower in G(2-3) compared with G(4-5) and G(6-7) (medians 23 versus 34 and 34mU/ejaculate; P &lt; 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). The same trend was found regarding zinc (medians 6 versus 8 and 8 mumol/ejaculate; P = 0.001 and P = 0.005, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Within the time interval recommended by the WHO (2-7 days), the length of the abstinence period is associated with sperm characteristics and should be taken into consideration when interpreting results of semen analysis.}},
  author       = {{Elzanaty, Saad and Malm, Johan and Giwercman, Aleksander}},
  issn         = {{0268-1161}},
  keywords     = {{sexual abstinence period; sperm motility; fructose; NAG; PSA}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{221--225}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Human Reproduction}},
  title        = {{Duration of sexual abstinence: epididymal and accessory sex gland secretions and their relationship to sperm motility.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deh586}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/humrep/deh586}},
  volume       = {{20}},
  year         = {{2005}},
}