RESULTS OF A PILOT-STUDY OF THE TIME TO AZOOSPERMIA AFTER VASECTOMY IN MEXICO-CITY

In a joint pilot study by Family Health International (FHI), AVSC Inte rnational, and the Institute Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), inform ation was gathered on the determinants of azoospermia following vasect omy on 38 healthy men who chose vasectomy for contraception. The time and number of ejaculations associated with loss of sperm motility and loss of sperm eosin vital staining were also evaluated. ''Azoospermia' ' was defined on the basis of two consecutive azoospermic semen sample s collected at least 3 days apart. The single decrement life table met hod was used to calculate weekly gross cumulative life table rates for the time to azoospermia, zero motility, and zero viability. The Kapla n-Meier method was used to calculate the product-limit estimates of th e cumulative rates for the total number of ejaculations to azoospermia , 0% motility and 0% viability. The median time to azoospermia was 10 weeks and at the end of week 20, the life table rate (+/- standard err or) was 93.0 (+/- 6.30) weeks/100 men. The median number of ejaculatio ns to azoospermia was between 25 and 30, and the cumulative rate (+/- standard error) at 60 ejaculations reached 94.5 (+/- 5.16)/100 men. (C ) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.