Age-related patterns and temporal variation of semen abnormalities among male partners of infertile couples in Shendi, Sudan

Abstract Background Infertility is a major global reproductive-health concern, and male factors contribute to a substantial proportion of infertile couples. Objective This study aimed to determine the prevalence and patterns of semen abnormalities among male partners of infertile couples in Shendi locality, Sudan, from January 2021 through June 2024 and to assess associations with age and temporal variation. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed 1,133 eligible semen-analysis records from male partners of infertile couples evaluated in Shendi locality. Age, semen volume, abstinence period, and sperm characteristics were extracted from laboratory records. Associations between categorical variables were evaluated using Pearson’s chi-square test. Results Nearly half of the records were from men aged 20–30 years (47.1%). A semen volume of 1–3 mL, used as an analytical category, was recorded in 73.2% of samples. Normozoospermia was the most frequent sperm-status category (30.7%), followed by oligoasthenozoospermia (28.1%) and asthenozoospermia (25.8%). Age group was strongly associated with semen-volume category ( p < 0.001). Sperm-status distribution differed significantly across the observation period ( p < 0.001): normozoospermia decreased from 39.4% in 2021 to 15.7% in January–June 2024, whereas asthenozoospermia increased from 20.6 to 39.3%. Conclusion Semen-status patterns varied significantly across the observation period, with a lower proportion of normozoospermia and a higher proportion of asthenozoospermia in the later observation period. These findings describe a temporal distributional pattern in a clinic-based population and do not establish an individual longitudinal or causal decline in semen quality.