Table 2.
Summary of key results based on parameter
| Parameter evaluated | Number of publications | Key results |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | 17 | • 15 out of 17 publications (88.2%): volume increases with longer abstinence • 2 out of 17 publications (11.8%): there is no association between volume and varying abstinence |
| Count | 11 | • 11 out of 11 publications (100%): sperm count increases with longer abstinence. Abstinence of > 5 days is strongly associated with increased sperm count. Abstinence of < 24 h is associated with significant decreases in sperm count |
| Motility | 23 | • Studies only publishing total motile count were excluded • 10 out of 23 publications (43.5%): there was no association noted between abstinence time and motility • 13 out of 23 publications (56.5%): an association was noted between abstinence time and motility 10 out of these 13 publications: peak motility demonstrated after < 3 days abstinence 3 out of these 13 publications: peak motility was noted at 4 or 5 days abstinence |
| Morphology | 16 | • Kruger’s strict criteria for morphology utilized by 1 publication • WHO morphology guidelines utilized by 15 publications • 11 out of 16 publications (68.8%): no differences in morphology were noted based on varying abstinence times • 5 out of 16 publications (31.2%): an association was noted between abstinence time and morphology. Peak morphology ranged from 30 to 40 min to 3–8 days of abstinence. Significant variation was noted between studies |
| Semen pH | 3 | • 3 out of 3 publications (100%): semen pH did not vary based on varying abstinence |
| DNA fragmentation rate | 8 | • 5 publications utilized flow cytometry. 3 publications utilized sperm chromatin dispersion testing • 4 out of 8 publications (50%): no differences in DNA fragmentation rate were noted based on varying abstinence times. All 4 of these publications utilized flow cytometry • 4 out of 8 publications (50%): abstinence of < 24 h was associated with the lowest rates of DNA fragmentation. The 3 publications utilizing sperm chromatin dispersion testing were in this group |
| Viability | 5 | • 4 out of 5 publications (80%): no differences in rates of viability were noted based on varying abstinence • 1 out of 5 publications (20%): the total number of viable sperm increases with abstinence of 6–7 days compared to shorter abstinence |
| Pregnancy outcomes (with ART) |
3 | • 1 study evaluating pregnancy rates with IUI after varying abstinence: the highest pregnancy rates were seen following < 3 days of abstinence • 1 study evaluating pregnancy rates with ICSI after varying abstinence: the highest pregnancy rates were seen following 24 h of abstinence • 1 study evaluating fertilization rates with IVF after varying abstinence: the highest fertilization rates were seen following 30–60 min of abstinence |