Effects of infections with five sexually transmitted pathogens on sperm quality.

Sung Jae Kim; Doo-Jin Paik; Joong Shik Lee; Hyo Serk Lee; Ju Tae Seo; Mi Seon Jeong; Jae-Ho Lee; Dong Wook Park; Sangchul Han; Yoo Kyung Lee; Ki Heon Lee; In Ho Lee; So, Kyeong A.; Seon Ah Kim; Juree Kim; Tae Jin Kim

Objective: This study investigated the prevalence of infections with human papillomavirus, Chlamydia trachomatis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis, and Mycoplasma genitalium in the semen of Korean infertile couples and their associations with sperm quality. Methods: Semen specimens were collected from 400 men who underwent a fertility evaluation. Infection with above five pathogens was assessed in each specimen. Sperm quality was compared in the pathogen-infected group and the non-infected group. Results: The infection rates of human papillomavirus, C. trachomatis, U. urealyticum, M. hominis, and M. genitalium in the study subjects were 1.57%, 0.79%, 16.80%, 4.46%, and 1.31%, respectively. The rate of morphological normality in the U. urealyticum-infected group was significantly lower than in those not infected with U. urealyticum. In a subgroup analysis of normozoospermic samples, the semen volume and the total sperm count in the pathogen-infected group were significantly lower than in the non-infected group. Conclusion: Our results suggest that infection with U. urealyticum alone and any of the five sexually transmitted infections are likely to affect sperm morphology and semen volume, respectively.

SEXUALLY transmitted diseases; CHLAMYDIA trachomatis; SEXUAL health; PAPILLOMAVIRUSES; BOVINE papillomavirus

Clinical & Experimental Reproductive Medicine, 2017, Vol 44, Issue 4, p207

2233-8233

Academic Journal

10.5653/cerm.2017.44.4.207