J Korean Androl Soc.  1989 Jun;7(1):51-56.

The Role of Sexually Transmitted Disease in Male Infertility

• Kim SJ

Abstract

The role of sexually transmitted disease in male infertility has yet to be determined. But there is a prevailing belief that some strains of Ureaplasma urealyticum can cause fuzzy and coiled tail and motility abnormalities of spermatozoa. The belief has been founded by virtue of electron microscopy and some clinical studies. This paper reports the result of isolation of Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia trchomatis and other microbial organisms, that can cause sexually transmitted diseases, from the semen of 46 infertile men with asthenospermia and 37 control subjects and the conclusion is that there are not remarkable differences of isolation rates of microbial organisms except Ureaplasma urealyticum. But we should not disregard the role of genital mycoplasma, Chlamydia trachomatis and other microbials because they can cause male adnexitis and eventually incur obstruction, adnexal function decrease and immunologic abnormality.

MeSH Terms

Chlamydia
Chlamydia trachomatis
Female
Humans
Infertility, Male*
Male
Male*
Microscopy, Electron
Mycoplasma
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Semen
Sexually Transmitted Diseases*
Spermatozoa
Ureaplasma urealyticum
Virtues