[Effect of duration of sexual abstinence on the quality of human sperm in andrologic patients].

Between 1981 and 1984, 1063 patients (average age 32 years) were examined because of childlessness in marriage. The following parameters were evaluated in a first and second investigation: amount of ejaculate (ml), number of spermatozoa (mill./ml), motility (percentage of highly motile, motile, and non-motile spermatozoa immediately, 30, and 240 minutes after ejaculation), morphology (percentage of normally shaped spermatozoa), pH value, and fructose concentration (micrograms/ml), with special interest in the abstinence period. In a between subject test (n = 1001), the mean values of the first and second investigation concerning ejaculate parameters were compared according to the abstinence period. In a within subject test, the mean values after a short (one to four days) and longer (greater than four days) abstinence were analyzed. Regarding the between subject test, there could not be proved any difference between the first and second investigation. In the between subject test, the mean values of ejaculate amount and sperm density increased with advanced periods of abstinence, which reached statistical significance (p less than 0.001) in the within subject test. pH value and the concentration of fructose were not influenced by the abstinence period. In the between subject test, the number of motile and normally shaped spermatozoa decreased with advancing period of abstinence; the within subject test showed no influence at all. Our studies revealed that abstinence results in improvement of the sperm quality, especially in patients with oligospermia.