Prevalence of Various Sexually Transmitted Pathogens in Infertile Couples and Their Effects on In Vitro Fertilization Success

Introduction: Sexually transmitted infections can cause problems such as infertility, ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage due to tissue damage and function loss in female and male genital system. Although the role of bacterial agents in the etiopathogenesis of infertility is well known, the association of some viral agents that can be transmitted by sexual intercourse with infertility is relatively little known. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of cytomegalovirus (CMV), human papillomavirus (HPV), herpes simplex virus (HSV 1 and HSV 2), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and Chiamydia trachomatis in infertile patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Materials and Methods: Semen and cervical samples were taken from 149 infertile couples during one year, and the presence of agents was investigated with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The effect of these agents on in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment success was evaluated. Results: It was found that 8.1% (12/149) of the 149 infertile couples receiving IVF treatments were infected with CMV, and CMV-DNA positivity was found as 2% (3/149) in sperm samples and 6% (9/149) in cervical samples. CMV infection was not observed in both pairs. HPV infection was observed in 9.4% (14/149) of the couples and HPV-DNA was found to be 5.4% (8/149) in sperm samples and 7.4% (11/149) in cervical samples. The oncogenic high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) genotype ratio in sperm samples was 37.5% (3/8) and the most common genotypes were HPV 18, 35 and 39, respectively. HR-HPV genotype ratio in cervical samples was 63.6% (7/11) and HPV 35, 16, 18, 45 and 53 were the most common genotypes. While HPV-DNA was found to be positive in 3.4% (5/149) in both of the pairs, interpair consistency was 40% (2/5) for HPV genotypes. HPV or CMV positivity did not have a statistically significant effect on sperm parameters, number of oocytes, embryos, and clinical pregnancy and live birth rate after IVF. C. trachomatis, HSV-1/2, HBV, HCV and HIV viruses were not detected in any of the sperm and cervical samples of the couples. Conclusion: More extensive studies are needed to investigate the possible agents in infertile patients. In order to eliminate the lack of epidemiological data on this subject, it would be useful to give priority to patients admitted to IVF clinics that are easier to reach first and to bacterial/viral factors that are seen endemic in our country, especially.