Relationship between psychological stress and semen quality among in-vitrofertilization patients

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between psychol ogical stress and semen quality among men undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF). We assessed psychological variables, including self-reported stress , and sperm parameters in a group of 40 men undergoing IVF for the first ti me at a pre-IVF sampling period (T1) and at the time of egg retrieval (T2). Thirty-one patients completed the study. Results indicated that total and motile sperm concentration, total motile spermatozoa, and lateral head disp lacement decreased significantly from T1 to T2 in a high percentage of part icipants. In addition, the perceived importance of producing a semen specim en increased significantly (P = 0.001) from T1 to T2, and this change was s ignificantly correlated (P < 0.05) with diminished semen quality at the tim e of oocyte retrieval, No decline in the semen quality or increase in perce ived stress at egg retrieval was observed at T2 in male factor patients (n = 7), This study provides evidence for a significant decline in semen quali ty of male IVF patients at egg retrieval and demonstrates an inverse relati onship between semen quality and specific aspects of psychological stress.