[Infections and male infertility]

Abstract

Background: The role of urogenital infections in male infertility has long been the subject of debate.

Methods: A bibliographic search limited to English-language literature on human subjects published before 5/2023 resulted in the selection of 189 articles.

Results: Male infertility is often of multifactorial aetiology, and to optimise the prognosis it is important to manage all the factors that can be corrected, including infectious causes, which represent one of the most frequent aetiologies. The infectious agents involved in urogenital infections are most often bacterial or viral, and more rarely parasitic. They can infect the seminal tract, male accessory glands and/or testicles, and usually result in inflammation and increased oxidative stress. These infections reduce male fertility, in particular by altering spermogram parameters and increasing sperm DNA fragmentation. For these reasons, the search for a urogenital infection should be systematic, involving a careful history and clinical examination, ultrasound and systematic bacteriological tests guided by clinical findings. Aetiological treatment may be proposed depending on the picture and the germ involved.

Conclusion: This review should help the urologist to establish an accurate diagnosis of the form and extent of the infection, and enable him to define an appropriate therapeutic strategy, tailored to the patient, in order to obtain the best chances of improving male fertility.

Keywords: Epididymitis; Infections des glandes accessoires masculines; Infertilité masculine; Leucospermia; Leucospermie; Male accessory gland infections; Male infertility; Orchite; Orchitis; Prostatite; Prostatitis; Épididymite.