Clin Exp Reprod Med.  2017 Dec;44(4):207-213. 10.5653/cerm.2017.44.4.207.

Effects of infections with five sexually transmitted pathogens on sperm quality

• Kim SJ
• Paik DJ
• Lee JS
• Lee HS
• Seo JT
• Jeong MS
• Lee JH
• Park DW
• Han S
• Lee YK
• Lee KH
• Lee IH
• So KA
• Kim SA
• Kim J
• Kim TJ

• KMID: 2401623
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5653/cerm.2017.44.4.207

Abstract

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.

Keyword

Chlamydia trachomatis; Human papillomavirus; Mycoplasma genitalium; Mycoplasma hominis; Semen analysis; Sexually transmitted disease; Ureaplasma urealyticum

MeSH Terms

Chlamydia trachomatis
Family Characteristics
Fertility
Humans
Male
Mycoplasma genitalium
Mycoplasma hominis
Prevalence
Semen
Semen Analysis
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Sperm Count
Spermatozoa*
Ureaplasma urealyticum