Sim PK, Tham MY, Lee SK. Semen Parameters in Male Partners of Infertile Couples in Malaysia. Abstract GY-05. Med J Malaysia 2019;74(Suppl 1):27. Presented as a poster, Semen Parameters of Male Partners of Infertile Couples in Malaysia, at the 27th International Congress of the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Malaysia (OGSM 2019). KL Fertility & Gynaecology Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Presented: OGSM 2019 | Last reviewed: October 2026
This page summarises findings from a conference abstract published in a peer-reviewed journal, based on clinical data from KL Fertility & Gynaecology Centre. It is presented here for the clinical and scientific community and is not intended as a substitute for individualised patient counselling.
Funding and disclosures: No funding or competing-interest declarations are reported on this poster or in the published abstract.
Background and Aim
Male factor is present in 40 to 50% of infertility cases (no source is cited for this figure), and statistical data on the semen parameters of men in Malaysia are still lacking.
This study aimed to describe the semen quality of male partners of infertile couples and to identify the contribution of male factor to infertility in Malaysia, using semen analyses from one fertility centre.
Method: Study Design and Semen Analysis at KL Fertility Centre
The study reports semen analyses performed during fertility consultations at KL Fertility & Gynaecology Centre in Kuala Lumpur between January 2016 and December 2017. The study was conducted with reference to the WHO Laboratory Manual for the Examination and Processing of Human Semen (5th edition).
Results: Semen Parameters in 1,998 Semen Analyses
A total of 1,998 semen analyses were done. The average age was 36 ± 6.2 years. The mean semen volume per ejaculate was 2.5 ml, with a reported minimum of 0.01 ml and maximum of 20 ml.
Table 1. Age distribution of the semen analyses.
Age group (years) | Semen analyses, n (%) |
|---|---|
20 to 29 | 9.7% (194/1,998) |
30 to 39 | 68.1% (1,360/1,998) |
40 to 49 | 19.1% (382/1,998) |
50 to 59 | 2.5% (50/1,998) |
60 to 69 | 0.6% (12/1,998) |
Table 2. Classification of the Semen Samples
Classification | Semen analyses, n (%) |
|---|---|
Normozoospermia | 69.3% (1,385/1,998) |
Oligozoospermia | 22.8% (455/1,998) |
Cryptozoospermia | 1.6% (33/1,998) |
Azoospermia | 6.3% (125/1,998) |
Teratozoospermia | 88.3% (1,765/1,998) |
Asthenozoospermia | 45.8% (916/1,998) |
Most analyses (68.1%) came from men aged 30 to 39 years. Teratozoospermia was the most common abnormality, in 88.3% of the analyses (1,765/1,998), followed by asthenozoospermia in 45.8% (916/1,998). Reduced sperm concentration, taken as the oligozoospermia, cryptozoospermia and azoospermia categories together, accounted for 30.7% (613/1,998) of the analyses.
Discussion: How These Findings Compare With Published Evidence
The study describes one clinic’s records, so it cannot be set directly against population figures. The WHO laboratory manual was updated to a sixth edition in 2021 with a revised reference population, and a reappraisal by Paffoni and colleagues found that the 3,589 fertile men from 10 studies in 12 countries behind it did not appear to meet the conditions for treating the pooled data as one population. Comparisons with other studies therefore require confirmation of the diagnostic criteria and thresholds applied.
A retrospective study of 127 patients at a tertiary centre in Sarawak reported an association between age and total sperm count. Its abstract does not report the share of men with each abnormality, so it cannot be compared with the figures above.
The authors conclude that the high rate of teratozoospermia, followed by asthenozoospermia and reduced sperm concentration, indicates a need for a public health strategy focused on primary prevention. The study did not examine causes or risk factors, so this recommendation is the authors’ interpretation and not a result of the analysis.
Clinical Practice Implications
The findings describe the semen results of men attending one fertility centre. They do not give the prevalence of these abnormalities in the Malaysian male population, and they do not show what causes them.
- The denominators for morphology and motility need confirmation before clinical comparisons are drawn from the 88.3% and 45.8% figures.
- Interpretation of an individual result remains the task of the treating clinician, with the full clinical picture.
Limitations of This Descriptive Study
The data come from one centre and from men attending for fertility consultation, so they reflect a referred group and not the general population.
Key Findings
- A descriptive study reported 1,998 semen analyses from KL Fertility Centre between January 2016 and December 2017.
- Most analyses (68.1%) were from men aged 30 to 39 years, and the average age across all analyses was 36 ± 6.2 years.
- Teratozoospermia was reported in 88.3% (1,765/1,998) and asthenozoospermia in 45.8% (916/1,998) of analyses.
- Reduced sperm concentration was reported in 30.7% (613/1,998) of analyses.
- The data come from one clinic and do not show the prevalence of these findings in the Malaysian male population.
About the Researchers
- Poo-Keen Sim is the Chief Embryologist and a member of the Scientific Team at KL Fertility & Gynaecology Centre, with over 20 years of hands-on experience in clinical embryology. She holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Embryology.
- Mei Yeong Tham (Jasmine Tham Mei Yeong) is a Senior Embryologist at KL Fertility Centre, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, who has been with the embryology team for over 10 years. (Profile: Malaysian Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology)
- Siew-Keah Lee is affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kajang, Selangor. (Siew-Keah Lee on LinkedIn)
Download the Original Research
The abstract is published in the Medical Journal of Malaysia, Volume 74, Supplement 1, August 2019: Medical Journal of Malaysia supplement page.
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References
- World Health Organization. WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen. 6th ed. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021. ISBN 978 92 4 0030787. Available at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240030787
- Paffoni A, Somigliana E, Boeri L, Viganò P. The statistical foundation of the reference population for semen analysis included in the sixth edition of the WHO manual: a critical reappraisal of the evidence. Hum Reprod 2022;37(10):2237-2245. doi:10.1093/humrep/deac161
- Madzlifah A, Arlizan Baizura A, Tay SP. Patterns of seminal fluid analysis in a tertiary centre in Sarawak. Malays J Pathol 2024;46(3):468. Available at: https://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/47057/
- Sim PK, Tham MY, Lee SK. Semen Parameters in Male Partners of Infertile Couples in Malaysia. Abstract GY-05. Med J Malaysia 2019;74(Suppl 1):27. Available at: https://mail.e-mjm.org/2019/v74s1/GY-05-06.pdf