Is age at puberty associated with semen quality and reproductive hormones in young adult life?

ABSTRACT: The evidence is scarce on the association between age at puberty and semen quality. A cohort of 320 Danish men aged 18-21 years enrolled in the "Healthy Habits for Two" birth cohort provided self-reported data on pubertal indicators and delivered semen and blood samples. The results indicated an association between older age at pubertal development and lower semen quality and altered reproductive hormones concentrations as measured in young adult life. Men who had their first nocturnal emission, start of pubic hair growth and first voice break episode when older than 15 years had 37.0%, 45.0% and 32.7% lower sperm concentration; 37.8%, 44.2% and 29.1% lower total sperm count; 7.4%, 13.4% and 15.3% lower testosterone concentration; and 21.3%, 1.5% and 3.7% lower inhibin B concentration, res

SUBMITTER: Lauridsen LL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5676420 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature