No decline in semen quality among potential sperm donors in Sydney, Australia, between 1983 and 2001

Purpose: To determine whether the quality of semen has changed over time in men screened for semen donation. Methods: All 448 men volunteering for semen donation between 1983 and 2001 at a donor insemination clinic in Sydney, Australia, were included in this longitudinal single centre observational analysis of semen parameters. There was no selection for fertility or marital status but all volunteers had to be aged between 18 and 40 years. Results: There was no change in the total sperm count during the study period (r = 0.065, P = 0.17) using a linear regression model. The ejaculate volume did not change (r = 0.002, P = 0.97), while an increase in sperm motility was seen (Spearman R = 0.194, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The semen quality of volunteers for sperm donation presenting to our donor insemination clinic in Sydney between 1983 and 2001 has not declined.