Social class and semen analysis

It has often been postulated that certain occupations may be hazardous to semen counts, but there are many conflicting views, with others finding either no differences in sperm count or only subtle differences in semen variables. We studied the effect of occupation (in relation to social class) on 207 men attending the fertility clinic of a district general hospital. In our own population azoospermic men were more likely to be of social class 3 m (3 semi-skilled manual) and below. Men who failed to provide a sample were more likely to be of social class 3 m. There was no statistical occupation difference in men whose sperm counts were normal or low. It may not be occupation alone, but also lifestyle differences between social classes which affect semen parameters.