Bacteriospermia in men among infertile couples in the Nepalese population

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Andrology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Male infertility is a significant concern, with infections of the urogenital tract being a known contributing factor.
• Bacterial presence in semen can negatively impact male fertility potential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of seminal bacterial infection (bacteriospermia) in infertile men in Nepal.
• To investigate the association between bacteriospermia and key semen parameters affecting fertility.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 217 semen samples from infertile men over 13 months (June 2021-July 2022).
• Semen parameter analysis followed WHO 2021 guidelines.
• Microbiological assessment using a culture-based approach to detect bacteria.

Main Results:

• Bacteriospermia was detected in 25.3% of the analyzed semen samples.
• Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently isolated bacterium.
• A statistically significant reduction in semen volume was observed in samples with bacteriospermia (p=0.001).
• While other parameters like sperm concentration, motility, morphology, and vitality showed negative trends, the associations were not statistically significant at the 95% confidence interval.

Conclusions:

• Bacterial infection of the semen is common among infertile men in Nepal.
• Impaired semen parameters are partially linked to bacterial infection, suggesting bacteriospermia as a potential cause of male infertility.
• The findings provide a baseline for further research on semen bacterial infections in this population.