Journal of Family and Reproductive Health · Published 2025-04-14 · DOI 10.18502/jfrh.v19i1.18438
Objective: To determine the sperm DNA fragmentation in the semen of suspected sub-fertile men of Nepal and find its association with bacteriospermia demographic and lifestyle factors. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with the subjects, males among sub-fertile couples visiting a fertility center in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal for consultation. Information on demography and exposure factors was obtained with a structured questionnaire, and bacteriospermia and sperm DNA fragmentation was determined from the semen samples collected from the study subjects. The data obtained were used to assess sperm DNA fragmentation and its association with various risk factors in sub-fertile men of Nepal. Results: Out of 186 samples analyzed, 41.4% had low DNA fragmentation (<15%), 38.7% had moderate DNA fragmentation (≥15% and <30%), and 19.9% had high DNA fragmentation (≥30%). Among the risk factors analyzed, sperm DNA fragmentation was found to be significantly associated with the age of the patients (p<0.05). Other factors analyzed body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and bacteriospermia were not found to be associated with sperm DNA fragmentation in our study. Conclusion: Sperm DNA integrity may be distorted with the increasing age of men, leading to decreasing fertility potential.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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