Semen quality of male smokers and nonsmokers in infertile couples

Objective: To investigate the effect of cigarette smoking on main sperm variables. Design: Cohort study. Setting: Men attending the andrology laboratory in the context of infertility investigation in the couple. Patient(s): Eight hundred thirty-nine smokers and 1,266 non-smokers were enrolled; 655 smokers and 1,131 nonsmokers fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were compared. Main Outcome Measure(s): Standard clinical analysis of semen. Result(s): Cigarette smoking was associated with a significant decrease in sperm density (-15.3%), total sperm count (-17.5%), total number of motile sperm (-16.6%), and citrate concentration (-22.4%). The percentage of normal forms was significantly reduced in smokers, and sperm vitality, ejaculate volume, and fructose concentration were slightly but nonsignificantly affected. Conclusion: Cigarette smoking is associated with reduced semen quality. (C) 2003 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.