Human semen quality in the new millennium: a prospective cross-sectional population-based study of 4867 men

: Jorgensen N, Joensen UN, Jensen TK, Jensen MB, Almstrup K, Olesen IA, Juul A, Andersson AM, Carlsen E, Petersen JH, Toppari J, Skakkebaek NE

Publisher: BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP

: 2012

: BMJ Open

: BMJ OPEN

: ARTN e000990

: 4

: 2

: 4

: 13

: 2044-6055

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2012-000990

Conclusions: This large prospective study of semen quality among young men of the general population showed an increasing trend in sperm concentration and total sperm count. However, only one in four men had optimal semen quality. In addition, one in four will most likely face a prolonged waiting time to pregnancy if they in the future want to father a child and another 15% are at risk of the need of fertility treatment. Thus, reduced semen quality seems so frequent that it may impair the fertility rates and further increase the demand for assisted reproduction.