DFI Sexual Abstinence raw data

This record contains raw data related to article "Do the reduction of sexual abstinence influence sperm DNA fragmentation? Exploring the relationship between the two parameters."

Abstract

Background The exact mechanism behind age-related sperm decline remain unclear. Factors like increased free radicals and prolonged sexual abstinence (SA) have been explored in literature. Recent studies suggest that shorter SA may positively affect sperm parameters, though results are controversial.

Objectives Our retrospective analysis aimed to investigate whether reduced SA benefits sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Methods 1030 patients underwent both sperm analysis and SDF evaluation. The dataset was both studied entirely and split in 4 groups, based on patients’ age (≤38 and >38 years) and days of SA (0-3 and 4-7 days). It was further split in Low and High SDF populations.

Results Our analysis found a significant difference comparing groups of patients belonging to a different age stratification (≤38 vs >38 years) that shared a prolonged SA. Moreover, we found a relationship only for elder patients’ group with prolonged SA. Conversely, no statistical difference was observed for SA between Low SDF and High SDF population.

Discussion Our data corroborate current literature according to a positive relationship between aging and increasing of DFI. Furthermore, we observed that ejaculatory abstinence may have an incidence on DFI outcome along with advancing paternal age.

Conclusion There’s no homogeneity in the number of patients recruited with short and prolonged SA, as expected. Men undergoing fertility treatments have to follow strict SA guidelines. Including patients with 0-day SA could provide valuable insights, potentially leading to targeted treatments for individuals with SDF issues.