Cigarette smoking and sperm quality*

Abstract

The effect of cigarette smoking on conventional semen parameters (volume, total sperm count, sperm count/ml, total motility, progressive motility, morphology) was studied retrospectively in 90 healthy patients (50 non-smokers, 40 smokers) of our infertility clinic. Both groups, comparable in age, height and weight, were subdivided into two age groups (less than 28 years, greater than or equal to 28 years). Smokers were found to have sperm volumes significantly smaller than non-smokers of the same age. No additional effects on sperm parameters were found. Cigarette smoking revealed no detrimental effect on spermatogenesis.