Pattern of Semen Parameters among Male Partners of Infertile Couples in Kashmir, India: A Prospective Cross-Sectional Study at a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Background: Male factors contribute to about half of all infertility cases, yet semen quality data from the Kashmir valley are scarce. We described the pattern of semen parameters in male partners of infertile couples in Kashmir.

Methods: In this prospective cross-sectional study, 350 consecutive male partners of couples with at least 12 months of infertility were enrolled at Lalla Ded Hospital, Srinagar, over 18 months. Semen was analysed manually according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2021 manual. The primary endpoint was the distribution of semen diagnostic categories; secondary endpoints were abnormalities of individual parameters, the correlation of sperm concentration with motility, and variation across age groups.

Results: Mean age was 35.79 ± 3.67 years, 56.0% of men were older than 35 years, and mean duration of infertility was 3.49 ± 1.71 years. Normozoospermia was found in 58.6% of men. Asthenozoospermia was the most frequent abnormal diagnosis (17.1%), followed by necrozoospermia (7.7%), azoospermia (7.1%) and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (4.9%). Progressive motility was low in 33.1% of men and sperm concentration in 14.0%. Sperm concentration correlated with progressive motility (r = 0.835) and total motility (r = 0.856) and inversely with immotile sperm (r = −0.856); all p < 0.001. Across age groups, only semen pH (p = 0.036) and leukocyte count (p = 0.014) differed.

Conclusions: About four in ten men had an abnormal semen profile, driven mainly by impaired motility rather than low sperm output. Semen analysis of the male partner should be part of the first infertility visit in this region.