Semen pH and its correlation with motility and count - A study in subfertile men

OBJECTIVE: The current study was aimed at correlating semen pH with motility and count to understand the significance of semen buffering system. METHODS: The semen samples were collected from men who visited the clinic with infertility problems. Determination of semen pH, sperm motility and count were done according to the WHO laboratory manual, 2010 standards. The Mann-Whitney U-test was applied for statistical significance. The Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was used to measure the degree of linear relationship between the semen parameters. RESULTS: For all patients (n=310) the mean±SD pH was found to be 8.4±0.3, with a range from 6.9 to 9.5. There was a significant and positive correlation between total motility and pH r =0.0591 (p<0.00001); volume and pH r=0.0582 (p<0.00001); Sluggish Progressive Motility (SPM) and pH, r = 0.0529 (p<0.00001); Abstinence and pH, r=0.0016 (p<0.00001). Negative correlation was noted between pH and total count r= -0.025 (p<0.00001); Rapid Progressive Motility (RPM) and pH r = -0.0776 (p<0.001), Non Motile (NM) spermatozoa and pH r=-0.00132 (p<0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: There were correlations between seminal pH and two important fertility parameters, viz., motility and count, indicating that the semen buffering system plays a vital role in maintaining the overall seminal quality, which is of clinical relevance.