Objetive: To evaluate sperm quality in male patients attending an infertility clinic, who declare taking aspirin and/or other NSAIDs by self-medication (without diagnosed illness) for at least six months in different frequency and doses.
Design: Data for two years were retrospectively analyzed.
Setting: Andrological and Reproductive Laboratory (LAR), Córdoba, Argentine.
Patients: One thousand three hundred seventy six patients that according to the NSAIDs doses taken were grouped as follows: control (no NSAIDs consumption), group A (1-4 pills NSAIDs/month), group B (5-9 pills NSAIDs/month), group C (10-20 pills NSAIDs/month) and group D (at least one pill/day).
Results: An impairment was found in the seminal quality of group D with respect to seminal volume (vs Control, group A and group B), sperm motility and the percentage of gametes morphologically normal (vs Control and group A), and seminal fructose concentration and sperm viability (vs Control). A negative correlation was found between NSAIDs doses and seminal volume, a-glucosidase levels, sperm motility and normal morphology while a positive correlation was found with the percentage of dead spermatozoa.
Conclusions: A possible deleterious effect of low or moderate doses of NSAIDs chronically administered on male reproductive functions is evidenced by our study.