Associations of the February 2023 Earthquakes with Semen and Serum Parameters in Men Undergoing Infertility Evaluation, Stratified by Psychiatric Diagnosis: a Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Vollständiger Abstract

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Objective: To compare semen and serum parameters between the pre- and post-earthquake periods among men undergoing infertility evaluation and to examine whether the observed patterns differed according to recorded psychiatric diagnosis. Methods: This retrospective comparative cross-sectional study used hospital records from before (January 1, 2021-February 5, 2023) and after (February 6, 2023-December 31, 2024) the February 6, 2023 earthquakes, which affected 11 provinces in Türkiye. Participants were selected by simple random sampling. The study included 274 men: 82 in the pre-earthquake period and 192 in the post-earthquake period. Overall, 137 had a recorded psychiatric diagnosis and 137 did not. Results: In the overall sample, motile sperm, free T4, progesterone, direct bilirubin, total bilirubin, cholesterol, magnesium, and triglyceride values differed significantly between the pre- and post-earthquake periods (all p < 0.050). Among men with a recorded psychiatric diagnosis, sperm concentration and total testosterone were higher in the post-earthquake period (both p < 0.050). Among men without a recorded psychiatric diagnosis, free T4 was higher, whereas TSH, magnesium, and triglyceride values were lower in the post-earthquake period (all p < 0.050). Conclusion: The post-earthquake period was associated with lower sperm motility and differences in several serum parameters among men undergoing infertility evaluation. In the subgroup with recorded psychiatric diagnoses, sperm concentration and total testosterone were higher after the earthquake. Because the study compared unmatched groups and included no objective measure of stress, these findings do not establish a causal effect of earthquake-related psychological trauma.