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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Endocrinol.
Sec. Reproduction
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1490399

Association Between Penultimate Ejaculatory Abstinence and Spem Quality: A Cross-sectional Study

Provisionally accepted
Yuting Jiang Yuting Jiang Yueying Zhu Yueying Zhu Qingkuo Kong Qingkuo Kong Xin Lv Xin Lv Qi Xi Qi Xi Yang Yu Yang Yu *
  • First Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background Ejaculatory abstinence (EA) duration influences semen parameters. However, the impact of penultimate ejaculatory abstinence (PEA) on conventional and functional sperm parameters remains underexplored. Method A cross-sectional study recruited 1,503 men from a reproductive center between November 2023 and July 2024. Each participant underwent a physical examination, completed clinical questionnaires, and provided a semen sample for analysis. Generalized linear models were adjusted for potential confounders such as EA to investigate the association between PEA and various sperm parameters. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between PEA and the risk of high sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI), oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, and necrozoospermia.  Results Participants were categorized into four quartiles based on PEA duration. (Q1: 1-3 days; Q2: 4-5 days; Q3: 6-9 days; Q4: > 9 days). After adjusting for potential confounders, a significant positive linear association was found between PEA and DFI, while a significant negative linear association was observed with progressive sperm motility. The longest PEA duration (Q4) correlated positively with semen concentration (P = 0.025), total sperm count (P < 0.001), and sperm vitality (P < 0.001). Compared to Q1, a PEA of > 9 days (Q4) was associated with higher risks of sperm DFI > 30% (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 4.25; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.37-7.62), asthenozoospermia (adjusted OR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.07-1.96), and necrozoospermia (adjusted OR = 1.99; 95% CI: 1.07-3.69). Moreover, the risk of sperm DFI > 15% was higher in Q2, Q3, and Q4 compared to Q1. Conclusion Prolonged PEA adversely affects sperm DFI, progressive motility, and sperm vitality, increasing the likelihood of asthenozoospermia, necrozoospermia, and elevated DFI levels. These findings suggest that both EA and PEA should be considered in fertility assessments, with shorter PEA durations potentially yielding higher quality sperm, thereby enhancing male fertility evaluation and outcomes.

    Keywords: penultimate ejaculatory abstinence, Semen parameters, DNA fragmentation index, Ejaculatory abstinence, male fertility

    Received: 03 Sep 2024; Accepted: 01 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Jiang, Zhu, Kong, Lv, Xi and Yu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Yang Yu, First Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China

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