Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29143943›Full record

SynthesisJournal of assisted reproduction and genetics2018

The impact of ejaculatory abstinence on semen analysis parameters: a systematic review.

Brent M Hanson, Kenneth I Aston, Tim G Jenkins, Douglas T Carrell, James M Hotaling

Registry-linked trialOpen access · bronzeAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06172504 (Effect of Male Ejaculation Frequency on Semen Parameters), which is not on this map. Cited by 48 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
48citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
3.3field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06172504 unknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2023, after this paper: background citation

Effect of Male Ejaculation Frequency on Semen Parameters

TypeobservationalSponsorThe First Hospital of Jilin UniversityRan2023 to 2024Enrolled1,500ConditionsSperm, Fertility
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

48 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 85 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Trial
  6. Trial
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Observational
  12. Article
  13. Observational
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Sperm DNA Fragmentation and Fertility.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2025
    Review
  18. Article
  19. Observational
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Brent M HansonDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah, 50 N Medical Drive, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA. Brent.hanson@hsc.utah.edu.
Kenneth I AstonDepartment of Surgery-Urology, University of Utah Andrology & IVF Laboratories, 675 Arapeen Drive, Suite 201, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA.
Tim G JenkinsDepartment of Surgery-Urology, University of Utah Andrology & IVF Laboratories, 675 Arapeen Drive, Suite 201, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA.
Douglas T CarrellDepartment of Surgery-Urology, University of Utah Andrology & IVF Laboratories, 675 Arapeen Drive, Suite 201, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA.
James M HotalingDepartment of Surgery-Urology, University of Utah Center for Reconstructive Urology and Men's Health, 675 Arapeen Drive, Suite 205, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA.
University of Utah · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate recent publications and determine the impact of ejaculatory abstinence on semen analysis parameters as well as fertility outcomes.

methodsThis was a systematic review of 28 recent publications. The focus of this study was the impact of abstinence on semen parameters and fertility outcomes in papers published since the year 2000. The specific parameters evaluated were volume, sperm count, motility, morphology, pH, DNA fragmentation rate, viability, and pregnancy or fertilization rates following assisted reproduction.

resultsTwenty-eight recent publications met inclusion criteria. Analysis of publications showed that longer abstinence is associated with increases in semen volume and sperm count. Studies evaluating the effect of abstinence on motility, morphology, and DNA fragmentation rates are contradictory and inconclusive, although a trend appears to exist toward improvements in semen parameters with shorter abstinence. Semen pH was unaffected by abstinence. The majority of publications found no difference in rates of viability with varying abstinence times, although total number of viable sperm increases with increasing abstinence. Some studies evaluating the impact of ejaculatory abstinence on intrauterine insemination (IUI), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and in vitro fertilization (IVF) demonstrated an association between short abstinence and improved outcomes.

conclusionsThe impact of abstinence on sperm quality is complex. While certain semen parameters improve with longer abstinence, others appear to improve with shorter abstinence. No clear recommendations can be made regarding ideal abstinence due to the conflicting nature of current evidence. Going forward, more research is needed to evaluate the impact of abstinence on pregnancy and fertilization rates.

Indexed as

Sexual AbstinenceEjaculationFemaleFertilization in VitroHumansMalePregnancySemenSemen AnalysisSperm CountSperm Injections, IntracytoplasmicSperm MotilityEjaculatory abstinenceInfertilitySemen analysisSemen parametersSperm quality

Identifiers

PMID29143943
PMCPMC5845044
OpenAlexW2769899081

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.