Can a Short Term of Repeated Ejaculations Affect Seminal Parameters?

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Endocrinology
• Andrology
• Sperm Physiology

Background:

• Assessing the impact of frequent ejaculation on semen quality is crucial for understanding male reproductive health.
• Investigating short-interval ejaculation effects provides insights into sperm parameters relevant to fertility treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the influence of four ejaculations within a single day (at 2-hour intervals) on standard and functional semen metrics.
• To determine if repeated ejaculation impacts sperm concentration, motility, DNA integrity, and mitochondrial function.

Main Methods:

• Healthy male participants provided initial semen samples after 3-4 days of abstinence, followed by three more samples at 2-hour intervals.
• Semen analysis followed WHO 2010 guidelines, with additional flow cytometry for reactive oxygen species (ROS), sperm DNA fragmentation, and mitochondrial function.

Main Results:

• Conventional semen parameters, including concentration and total motile sperm count, showed a significant decrease by the fourth ejaculation.
• Intracellular ROS production decreased significantly with repeated ejaculations, while DNA fragmentation index (DFI) showed a non-significant increasing trend.
• Sperm mitochondrial function (ΔΨm) and plasma membrane integrity remained stable across all sample collections.

Conclusions:

• Repeated ejaculations at short intervals can alter semen parameters, notably reducing sperm counts and motility.
• The decrease in ROS production with repeated ejaculation may have implications for assisted reproduction.
• Collecting multiple semen samples with short abstinence periods could be beneficial for severe oligospermic men undergoing fertility treatments.