The Impact of Opium Dependence and Cigarette Smoking on Human Semen Parameters

To examine the effects of opium dependence and cigarette smoking on semen quality and sperm parameters, the semen quality of men who abuse opiates and/or smoke cigarettes was investigated in a retrospective study. Male partners of 1325 infertile couples attending the infertility clinic for intrauterine insemination (IUI) procedure were divided into non-smoking non-opium (NS/NO), smoking and non-opium (S/NO), non-smoking and opium (NS/O), smoking and opium (S/O), and opium dependence regardless of smoking status (O/RS) groups. Two samples were collected from each subject and were analyzed in accordance to WHO criteria. Subjects in different groups were comparable regarding mean age, duration of abstinence, and familial history of infertility, whereas duration of infertility was longer in all groups than in NS/NO group (P<0.05). The volume of semen, liquefaction time and pH differed significantly between S/NO and NS/NO groups (P<0.05). In addition, more men in S/NO group were diagnosed to be teratozoospermic than other groups (P=0.018). Sperm progression was significantly lower in NS/O than in NS/NO group (P<0.05). These findings suggest that opium dependence and cigarette smoking alter semen and sperm production and quality differently.