The effect of experimentally induced psychological stress on seminal parameters in healthy volunteers

Background

Studies on the effects of psychological stress on male infertility have so far yielded equivocal findings [1, 2]. The majority of these studies were based on subjective assessments of chronic stress. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of experimentally induced acute stress on seminal parameters.

Materials and methods

Twenty healthy postgraduate medical students produced two semen samples. The first sample was obtained in the lab after an acute stress-inducing task, and the second one at home. The acute stress inducing protocol was based on the Trier Social Stress Test [3].

Results

Semen volume was significantly higher after acute stress, compared to semen volume at home (p=0.02). Semen pH was significantly lower after acute stress, compared to semen pH at home (p=0.039). A trend was observed for grade of motility to be higher after acute stress, than at home (p= 0.059).

Conclusions

This study was the first one to examine the effects of experimentally induced stress on semen parameters. The main limitation of the study concerns the small sample size. Findings suggest that exposure to acute stress influences semen parameters, possibly due to an increase in prostatic secretions, with a possible improvement in seminal parameters important for fertilization.