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Review
. 2023 Dec 16;24(24):17562.
doi: 10.3390/ijms242417562.

Human Papillomavirus and Male Infertility: What Do We Know?

Arianna Sucato  1 , Michela Buttà  1 , Liana Bosco  2 , Leonardo Di Gregorio  3 , Antonio Perino  4 , Giuseppina Capra  1   5
Affiliations
Review

Human Papillomavirus and Male Infertility: What Do We Know?

Arianna Sucato et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to understanding the causes of infertility, which is being recognized as a growing health problem affecting large numbers of couples worldwide. Male infertility is a contributing factor in approximately 30-40% of cases, and one of its etiological causes is sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Among sexually transmitted pathogens, human papillomavirus (HPV) can contribute in various ways to the failure of spontaneous and assisted reproduction, acting in the different phases of conception, especially in the early ones. In particular, HPV infection can affect sperm DNA integrity, sperm motility, count, viability, and morphology and can induce the production of anti-sperm antibodies (ASAs). In this narrative review, we aimed to provide an overview of existing research on the potential adverse effects of HPV infection on male reproductive health. Furthermore, we analyzed how limiting the spread of the infection, particularly with gender-neutral vaccination, could be a possible therapeutic tool to counteract male and female fertility problems.

Keywords: ART; HPV; HPV infection; infertility; male infertility; sperm parameters; vaccination.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Visualization of sperm DNA fragmentation using sperm chromatin dispersion test (SCD). (A) Normal sperms. (B) Sperms with fragmented DNA.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flow chart for the management of patients with fertility problems. (Adapted with permission from [69], Copyright 2021, Muscianisi, De Toni, Giorato, Carosso, Foresta and Garolla, Frontiers in Endocrinology). HPV, Human Papillomavirus; FISH, Fluorescent in situ hybridization; ART, Assisted reproductive techniques.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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