Semen parameters and sperm DNA damage and its impact on birth

This case-control study, conducted from July 2021 to August 2022 in Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, investigates the semen parameters and sperm DNA damage in male partners of couples experiencing recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) compared to fertile couples without pregnancy loss. The study, with participants gathered from various gynaecologicalclinics, sheds light on the implications for mammalian reproductive health and wildlife conservationsuch as captive breeding programs.Semen indices, analyzed according to World Health Organization (WHO) standards, revealed that couples with RPL exhibited significantly lower rates of progressive motility (45.62 ± 16.01 vs. 53.08 ± 10.11, P=0.037) and normal morphology (2.88 ± 1.5 vs. 3.48 ± 1.2, P=0.048) compared to thecontrol group.Furthermore, the study employed the alkaline comet assay to assess the magnitude of sperm DNA damage. Results indicated a significantly higher degree of sperm DNA damage in couples with RPL (21.99 ± 1.13 vs. 17.42 ± 1.39, P=0.018), along with a notable increase in DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI) (43.46 ± 20.39 vs. 29.83 ± 16.25, P=0.0048) compared to the control group.These findings not only contribute to our understanding of human reproductive health but also have broader implications for mammalian fertility, potentially influencing wildlife populations. Further research is warranted to unravel the underlying mechanisms and explore interventions for couples experiencing RPL, with potential applications in mammalian and wildlife conservation.The semen of male partners of couples with RPL have lower progressive motility and a higher percentage of abnormal morphology with a significantlyhigher degree of DNA damage when compared with their age-matchedcontrol group, therefor sperm DNA damage may be included as an important step in the evaluation of couples with RPL.