(377) Different Risk Factors and Their Effects on Semen Analysis: A 7-year Single Institutional Review

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Semen parameters are a reflection of overall patient health and may fluctuate during times of physiologic stress. Autoimmune disease affects a number of aspects of health and may be exacerbated by disease flare-ups and/or medical therapy. Nearly 5 million men are living with an autoimmune disease, yet its effect on male fertility is not well defined. Objective The object of this study is to evaluate the effect of autoimmune disease and other health factors, such as smoking status, BMI, and age on semen parameters using a large institutional database. Methods We reviewed an institutional database of all patients who underwent as semen analysis for any reason between 2013 and 2019. In addition to autoimmune disease status, patient age, smoking status, and body mass index were noted. Chi-Squared analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of autoimmune disease and smoking status on semen analysis. Univariate analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of age and body mass index on semen analysis. Results Of the 1127 patients in the cohort, 44 patients had a diagnosis of autoimmune disease at the time of semen analysis. Mean age of patients with and without autoimmune disease was noted to be the same at 34 years. No significant difference was noted in semen parameters (motility, pH, concentration, volume, morphology) when comparing patients with autoimmune disease to those without. When looking at factors aside from having an autoimmune disease, smoking status had a significant difference on sperm morphology (p = 0.043) but did not have any significant effect on other semen parameters. Sperm motility (p = <0.01) and volume (p = 0.03) declined with increasing age. Increasing body mass index was associated with increased semen pH (p = 0.03), but otherwise did not impact semen parameters. Conclusions This single center, large retrospective analysis shows no significant impact of autoimmune disease on semen parameters. Smoking and patient age were the only significant factors that influenced semen parameters, while patient age only caused a slight increase in semen pH. Disclosure No.