The Frequency of Semen Abnormalities Among Jordanian Population: A Retrospective Single-Center Study of 1182 Cases

Male infertility is a significant global public health concern, with sperm abnormalities contributing to nearly half of all cases. This retrospective study addressed a critical gap by analyzing 1182 semen records from subfertile Jordanian men at the IVF unit.

We quantified the prevalence of specific abnormalities, oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, teratozoospermia, and azoospermia, and investigated the interrelationships between sperm count, motility, and morphology.

Oligozoospermia was the most prevalent single abnormality (29%), while normozoospermia was found in 28% of cases. Combined defects were frequent; oligoasthenoteratozoospermia, with low count, poor motility, and abnormal morphology, was identified in 17% of cases, highlighting the multifactorial nature of subfertility. Correlation analysis showed significant interdependencies. A strong positive correlation was found between normal morphology and progressive motility (r = 0.484, p < 0.0001), suggesting structural integrity is closely linked to movement. Sperm count showed moderate positive correlations with normal morphology (r = 0.508, p < 0.0001) and non-progressive motility (r = 0.522, p < 0.0001). Abnormal morphology exhibited the strongest positive correlation with immotile sperm (r = 0.559, p < 0.0001), consistent with asthenoteratozoospermia.

These findings suggest semen issues in Jordanian men include multiple parameters simultaneously. Comprehensive semen analysis is essential for accurate fertility assessment, as focusing on a single parameter like sperm count may overlook critical factors contributing to infertility.