Individual prognosis for changes in sperm quality on the basis of perceived stress

Background: In this study we examined whether stress has a negative influen ce on sperm quality. To investigate this issue we developed a scale assessi ng perceived stress resulting from infertility. Methods and Results: The In fertility Distress Scale was constructed based on the data of 158 infertili ty patients contacting an andrological clinic for the first time. The Infer tility Distress Scale consists of items assessing self-reported stress, dif ferent appraisals of infertility and cognitive involvement in infertility. The scale was shown to have good psychometric properties. Changes in sperm quality were predicted by this scale for 69 patients. Changes in sperm conc entration and sperm motility were predicted correctly 75.4 and 65.6% of the time, respectively. While these prediction accuracies were significantly b etter than chance prediction, the Infertility Distress Scale had no predict ive value for changes in morphology. Conclusion: Results indicate that dist ress caused by infertility is a risk factor for a decrease in sperm quality .