Summary. The within-subject variability of the semen sperm count (n), volume (v) and the total number of spermatozoa (N) was studied on 220 ejaculates from 36 normal subjects after an abstinence of 7 days or less. For each of the three variables, the within-subject standard deviation , \g=s\, was practically proportional to the mean, \ g=m\ ; the common value of the coefficient of variation \ g=s\ / \ g=m\ for all subjects was very high: 0\m=.\39for n, 0\m=.\28for v and 0\m=.\55for N. The 95% confidence intervals based on a single ejaculate were asymmetrical and very large, the lower and upper limits being respectively 0\m=.\5\ m=x\n and 2\m=.\3\ m=x\ n; 0\m=.\7\ m=x\v and 1\m=.\8\ m=x\ v; 0\m=.\4\ m=x\N and 2\m=.\9\ m=x\N. The three semen characteristics for a given subject were highly correlated with the length of abstinence: for an increase in abstinence of 1 day there were mean increments of 13 \m=x\ 106/ml for n, 0\m=.\4ml for v, and 87 \m=x\106 for N.
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