Possible relationship between in utero diethylstilbestrol exposure and male fertility

Seventeen men who were exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol (DES), 12 non-DES-exposed volunteers, and 11 fertile control subjects were evaluated by physical examination, seminal fluid analysis, and sperm penetration assay (SPA). Fourteen of the 17 male subjects exposed to DES in utero and two of the 12 non-DES-exposed volunteers had SPAs of less than 14% and qualified as infertile by the criteria of this test. All 11 fertile control subjects had demonstrated SPA values in the fertile range. Thirteen of the 17 DES-exposed male subjects, four of the 12 non-DES-exposed volunteers, and four of the 11 fertile control subjects demonstrated at least one abnormality of the reproductive organs.