Association of sexually transmitted infection with semen quality in men from couples with primary and secondary infertility.

Shun Bai; Yuan LI; Mei-hong HU; Li WU; Li-jun Shui; Xiao-han Wang; Yi-xun Liu; Qiu-ling Yue; Li-na YU; Kai-qiang FU; Xian-hong Tong; Xue-chun HU; Bo XU

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Association of sexually transmitted infection with semen quality in men from couples with primary and secondary infertility.

Author: Shun BAI ¹ ; Yuan LI ² ; Mei-Hong HU ¹ ; Li WU ¹ ; Li-Jun SHUI ¹ ; Xiao-Han WANG ³ ; Yi-Xun LIU ⁴ ; Qiu-Ling YUE ⁵ ; Li-Na YU ⁵ ; Kai-Qiang FU ⁶ ; Xian-Hong TONG ¹ ; Xue-Chun HU ⁴ ; Bo XU ¹
Author Information

1. Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China.
2. Dermatology Department, The Fifth People's Hospital of Hainan Province, Haikou 570100, China.
3. Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230001, China.
4. Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China.
5. Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China.
6. College of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China.
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: primary infertility; secondary infertility; semen parameters; sexually transmitted infections
MeSH: Female; Humans; Infertility, Male/epidemiology*; Male; Mycoplasma genitalium; Mycoplasma hominis; Prevalence; Semen; Semen Analysis; Sexually Transmitted Diseases/epidemiology*; Ureaplasma urealyticum
From: Asian Journal of Andrology 2022;24(3):317-322
CountryChina
Language:English
Abstract: This study aims to compare the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) with semen quality in men from couples with primary and secondary infertility. Semen samples were collected from 133 men who requested fertility evaluation. Seminal tract infection with Ureaplasma spp. (UU), Mycoplasma hominis (MH), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) was assessed by PCR-based diagnostic assays. Among all patients, the prevalence of STIs was higher in men from couples with primary infertility than that in men from couples with secondary infertility (39.7% vs 21.7%, P = 0.03). The prevalence of UU was 28.8% and 13.3% in men from couples with primary and secondary infertility, respectively. Men from couples with primary infertility were more likely to be positive for UU than men from couples with secondary infertility (P = 0.04). Regarding the UU subtype, the prevalence of Ureaplasma urealyticum (Uuu) and Ureaplasma parvum (Uup; including Uup1, Uup3, Uup6, and Uup14) did not differ between the two groups. No associations between the prevalence rates of MH, MG, and CT were found in men from either infertility group. A lower sperm concentration was associated with STI pathogen positivity in men with primary infertility according to the crude model (P = 0.04). The crude and adjusted models showed that semen volume (both P = 0.03) and semen leukocyte count (both P = 0.02) were independently associated with secondary infertility. These findings suggest the importance of classifying the type of infertility during routine diagnosis of seminal tract infections.