ArticleThe world journal of men's health2025
Impact of Shorter Abstinence Periods on Semen Parameters: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Article in The world journal of men's health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Sperm DNA fragmentation: how to test, when to test, and what to do with abnormal results-a pragmatic mini-review for clinical practice.Human reproduction (Oxford, England) · 2026Review
- Influence of Very Short-Term Sexual Abstinence on Basic Semen Parameters and Sperm Chromatin Status: A Preliminary Study.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Is age a critical indicator for determining the optimal abstinence duration in patients undergoing sperm acquisition?Frontiers in reproductive health · 2026Article
- Association of sperm DNA fragmentation with abstinence duration, seminal oxidative stress and age: a call to consider abstinence in andrological diagnostics.Frontiers in urology · 2026Article
- Ejaculatory abstinence duration impacts semen parameters: Insights from a retrospective analysis in male infertility on 23,527 analyses.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThe success of assisted reproductive technology (ART) relies heavily on semen parameters, and it is influenced by the length of the abstinence period. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 2- to 7-day abstinence period. Even so, efficacy is still suboptimal. Thus, this study aims to determine whether shorter abstinence periods (<2 days) can improve semen parameters. MATERIALS AND
methodsThis study is a systematic review and meta-analysis. A literature search was performed across five databases: PubMed, Embase, ProQuest, Scopus, and Wiley Online Library using the PICO format. Retrieved articles were assessed according to eligibility criteria and the PRISMA flow diagram. Those eligible for quantitative analysis were assessed using forest plots. Risks of bias were tested using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.
resultsA total of 22 studies and 31,640 samples were included. Studies showed that short abstinence periods significantly reduced semen volume (mean difference [MD] -0.83, p<0.01), sperm concentration (MD -8.39, p<0.01), and DNA fragmentation (MD -3.82, p<0.01). No differences in sperm morphology were identified. Meanwhile, the overall effect for total (MD 2.30, p<0.05) and progressive motile sperm (MD 2.18, p<0.01) was significantly increased. Subgroup analysis on oligospermia patients revealed a significant increase in normal sperm morphology (MD 1.64, p<0.01) along with reduced DNA fragmentation (MD -3.30, p<0.05). However, no significant changes were seen among other sperm parameters.
conclusionsIn conclusion, our findings suggest a shorter abstinence period could be beneficial due to its effect on sperm motility and DNA fragmentation. Additionally, oligospermia patients will benefit from improved sperm morphology. These findings can provide insight for future guidelines to promote a shorter abstinence period for improving ART outcomes.
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