Role of semen analysis in subfertile couples

Objective To evaluate the associations between the results of the male partner's semen analysis (classified according to the World Health Organization [WHO] criteria) and fathering a child without any treatment. Design Prospective multicenter cohort study. Setting Twenty subfertility centers in The Netherlands. Patient(s) A total of 3,345 consecutive couples presenting for subfertility. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Associations between the results of the male partner's semen analysis, classified according to the WHO criteria, and fathering a child without any treatment within a time horizon of 1 year. Subsequently, we redefined semen quality criteria and reevaluated the associations. Result(s) Follow-up data of 3,129 couples (94%) were available, of which 517 (17%) had a healthy pregnancy without treatment. The 1-year pregnancy rate in men with WHO normozoospermia did not differ significantly from that in men with WHO impaired semen (24% vs. 23%). In contrast, we observed lower chances of fathering a child for sperm concentrations