Table 1. Semen characteristics of the first sample of 10 932 men consulting for couple infertility between 1988 and 2007.

Year	Number of samples	Sperm concentration (M/ml)	Total sperm count (M/ej)	Total mobility (%)	Rapid motility (%)	Normal forms (%)
		Median (IQR 25–75)	Median (IQR 25–75)	Mean±s.d.	Median (IQR 25–75)	Mean±s.d.
1988	92	50.4 (11.3–102.7)	120.5 (39.1–342.6)	56.5±19.2	20 (0–50)	43.1±19.8
1989	243	42.4 (12.2–89.2)	144.2 (32.9–274.4)	58.5±18.9	30 (10–40)	53.6±17.1
1990	339	47.4 (14–110)	161.7 (42.2–358.6)	60.5±16.8	30 (20–40)	54.2±15.9
1991	357	52.8 (11.6–114.7)	172.5 (32.4–385.7)	59.1±16.1	20 (10–40)	48.1±17.5
1992	360	46.1 (13.1–104.7)	150.5 (37.5–311.0)	57.0±17.9	20 (10–30)	39.4±17.1
1993	384	38.2 (8.9–90.4)	130.9 (29.9–303.8)	55.7±15.7	20 (10–30)	38.8±17.2
1994	552	44.1 (12.5–93)	138.7 (37.9–300.0)	57.8±15.3	20 (10–30)	42.7±18.5
1995	526	36 (7.4–86.4)	120.8 (28.4–302.4)	59.5±16.3	10 (5–30)	43.0±17.8
1996	456	43 (11.2–91.4)	136.3 (34.8–310.5)	63.7±16.7	10 (0-20)	38.2±17.1
1997	772	44.9 (14.1–98.7)	139.8 (43.6–326.1)	63.4±16.9	10 (5–20)	38.0±15.8
1998	743	46.4 (12.6–102.8)	145.3 (40.0–330.4)	58.7±17.1	10 (0–20)	38.8±17.1
1999	701	38.4 (8.4–87.9)	135.5 (26.2–296.9)	56.2±17.9	10 (0–20)	38.8±17.7
2000	728	31.7 (9.7–77.4)	99.2 (27.3–256.7)	56.9±17.6	10 (5–20)	39.2±23.4
2001	817	36 (7.6–83.3)	106.9 (23.7–279.1)	59.5±17.9	10 (0–20)	38.7±19.4
2002	678	40.7 (10–89.3)	131.9 (32.2–300.7)	60.2±19.6	10 (0–20)	34.8±18.9
2003	661	35.8 (10.9–75.7)	118.4 (33.8–273.1)	57.9±19.1	10 (0–20)	–
2004	607	40.6 (7.8–89.4)	118.2 (27.5–288.0)	56.3±19.9	10 (0–20)	–
2005	599	39.8 (10.4–88.6	119.7 (30.9–279.0)	55.3±18.0	10 (0–20)	–
2006	641	40 (11.7–88.9)	119.2 (31.9–261.2)	51.0±17.9	10 (0–20)	–
2007	676	35.4 (9.7–76)	100.8 (25.8–236.0)	52.4±18.6	5 (0–10)	–
Rates of decrease per year		1.5%	1.6%	0.4%	5.5%	2.2%

Abbreviations: IQR, interquartile range; M/ej, million per ejaculate; M/ml, million per millilitre; −, not available.