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Stress and semen quality in an in vitro fertilization program
K L Harrison1, V J Callan, J F Hennessey
1Queensland Fertility Group, Brisbane, Wesley Hospital, Australia.
Fertility and Sterility
|October 1, 1987
Summary
Psychological stress during in vitro fertilization (IVF) negatively impacts male semen quality. Semen samples collected after egg retrieval showed significantly lower sperm density, count, and motility, increasing fertilization failure rates.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Medicine
- Andrology
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
Background:
- Psychological stress is a known factor in infertility treatment.
- The specific impact of this stress on male semen quality during in vitro fertilization (IVF) is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effect of psychological stress on semen quality in men undergoing IVF.
- To compare semen parameters from samples collected before and during the IVF procedure.
Main Methods:
- Two semen samples were collected from 500 couples undergoing IVF.
- The first sample was from pre-IVF workup; the second was collected post-ovum aspiration for insemination.
- Sperm density, total count, and motility (quantitative and qualitative) were compared between samples.
Main Results:
- The second semen sample (post-ovum aspiration) showed significantly lower sperm density, total count, and motility.
- While 91% of cases showed no change in fertility index, 35 cases exhibited deterioration from normal to pathologic or severely pathologic.
- These cases of semen quality decline were associated with a dramatic increase in total fertilization failure.
Conclusions:
- Psychological stress associated with IVF treatment can significantly degrade male semen quality.
- Declines in semen parameters during IVF correlate with increased rates of fertilization failure.
- Management strategies are needed to address these stress-induced declines in semen quality.