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

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.

Prevalence and risk factors of infertility in a Mongolian population

Objective:To investigate and analyze the prevalence and risk factors of infertility in a Mongolian population.Methods:We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study between September 2016 and November 2021.Our study population of 1919 participants consisted of residents of Ulaanbaatar city and four regions of Mongolia.A pretested standardized and structured questionnaire was used to gather data from the participants.Our questionnaire comprised categories influencing infertility,such as socioeconomic status,lifestyle factors,health,reproductive history,present status,and sexual function.In addition,trained staff conducted face-to-face interviews with the participants.Results:Our study showed an infertility incidence of 8.2%,with primary infertility at 2.76%and secondary infertility at 5.47%.Compared with the urban area of Ulaanbaatar,the prevalence of infertility was significantly higher amongst the rural population(P<0.001).Risk factors of infertility included advanced age(35-39 years,OR 1.8,95%CI 1.99-6.55;>40 years,OR 2.1,95%CI 2.62-8.55),living rural region(aOR 2.4,95%CI 1.62-3.69),alcohol consumption(aOR 1.6,95%CI 1.11-2.44),chronic diseases(aOR 1.6,95%CI 1.20-2.38),reproductive disease(aOR 2.6,95%CI 1.86-3.88),gynecological operative history(aOR 2.1,95%CI 1.38-3.21),ovarian cyst(aOR 4.2,95%CI 2.70-6.40),gonorrhea(aOR 2.4,95%CI 1.01-6.16),non-malignant uterine cancer(aOR 2.9,95%CI 1.40-6.70),and endometriosis(aOR 4.7,95%CI 1.41-15.62).Conclusions:In Mongolia,the average infertility rate is 8.2%,similar to the average worldwide and is significantly higher in rural communities.Our study shows the most significant risk factors for infertility are age,alcohol consumption,and rural living.In addition,an unfavorable gynecological history and some diseases also pose a risk to fertility.

Types of Infertility and Its Risk Factors among Infertile Women: A Prospective Study in Dhaka City

Background: Infertility is a global health issue, and it is a multidimensional problem with social, economic, and cultural influences. Objectives: The study aimed to determine types of infertility and their contributing factors among the respondent infertile women. Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted among infertile women visiting Sir Salimullah Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka. From January to December 2020, 111 infertile women were included and evaluated for infertility types and their contributing factors. Data were collected by face-to-face interviewing, and data were analyzed statistically. Results: Primary infertility was found among 90 (81%) and secondary infertility among 21 (18.9%). Among the direct risk factors of female infertility, ovulation failure was the majority of the cases, 74 (35.1%), and its mainly observed in primarily infertile women 58 (33.9%). These observations were statistically significant. Conclusions: Infertility should be treated as a public health problem, government and non-government organizations should develop a basic policy to create effective fertility centers.

Association between the Presence of Serumanti-Cardiolipin Antibodies and Infertility

Background: Infertility is a common problem affecting 15% - 20% of couples. The increased incidence of anticardiolipin (ACL) antibodies in infertile women supports the contention that these autoantibodies contribute to the infertility. Objectives: To investigate whether there is an association between the presence of serum ACL antibodies and infertility in both men and women in Diyala province. Subjects and methods: The present study was conducted in Baquba city for the period from October 2013 to November 2014. Subjects included in this study were chosen from those attending Baquba Teaching Hospital, Al-Batool Teaching Hospital for Maternity and Children and some Primary Health Care Centers in Baquba. The subjects were categorized as follows: 30 apparently healthy males with age ranged between (18 - 45) years;30 apparently healthy women (age range: 18 - 47 years) had at least two live births without any miscarriages;25 women (age range: 18 - 43 years) had reproductive failure for at least one year of marriage;30 women (age range: 24 - 44 years) with at least one live birth had no pregnancy for at least two years after last child;40 males with primary infertility (no children after at least five years of marriage and their active sperm count was zero). Detection of anti-ACL IgG and IgM was done using enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) commercial kits (Wendell/Shelm/Germany). All data were statistically analyzed. Results: The results revealed that the anti-ACL IgM positivity rate was significantly higher among women with primary fertility compared to healthy women (p = 0.006). Similarly, the anti-ACL IgM and anti-ACL IgG were significantly among women with secondary infertility compared to healthy women (p = 0.012) and (p = 0.038) respectively. Although the anti-ACL IgG and IgM positivity rate among men with primary infertility was higher than that of healthy control. However, the differences were failed to reach the statistical significance (p = 0.07) and (p = 0.31) respectively. Conclusion: The presence of high levels of anticardiolipin antibodies in women with primary and secondary infertility as well as in men with primary infertility may support the contention that these autoantibodies contribute to the infertility in both sexes.