Semen analysis in sickle cell disease

Male reproductive function has been poorly studied in sickle cell disease. Low sperm count, impaired motility of spermatozoa and spermatogenic arrest during testicular biopsies have been described in this situation. In the present series of patients, the main seminal changes found were reduced forward progression of spermatozoa and high incidence of the stress pattern during morphologic analysis. Since these findings closely resemble that seminal picture observed during varicocele, testicular hypoxia has been expected by the authors to be a possible stressing factor both common to falcemic and varicocele patients.