Prevalence of low sperm count and abnormal semen parameters in male partners of women consulting at infertility clinic in Abakaliki, Nigeria.

In order to provide an insight to the prevalence of low sperm count and abnormal semen parameters in suspected subfertile/infertile men in our environment, semen samples collected from one hundred and seventy (170) men aged 21-50 years, whose wives were seen at a private fertility clinic in Abakaliki, Nigeria with diagnosis of primary and secondary infertility (78 and 92 respectively) were analysed in accordance with World Health Organization guidelines. Significantly high proportion (70%) of the study population had low sperm count (p < 0.05) with significantly high defective parameters (64%). Asthenozoospermia and teratozoospermia were the major abnormal parameters recorded. Higher prevalence of oligospermia was found in the civil servants and age-group 31-40 years (74% and 75% respectively). Using 10(5) cfu/ml as a significant level of bacteria growth, the prevalence of bacteria growth was found to be 56% of which 18% were from normospermic semen d 38% from oligospermic semen.