Abstract
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in all genders worldwide. Its association with male infertility is deeply investigated, although there are conflicting data on the role of the virus in the impairment of semen quality and reduced reproductive outcomes. In this study, we considered 335 semen samples of males (age: 37.63 ± 6.02 years) belonging to infertile couples who did not conceive a pregnancy after 12 months of unprotected intercourse. Residual semen samples, after routine sperm analysis, were used to amplify and type viral DNA. Positive or negative HPV semen samples were compared. In total, 42.51% (139/327) were positive for at least one HPV genotype, and in 54.68% (76/139), positivity was due to a high-risk (HR) genotype. The most prevalent was HPV-16 (16.55%) followed by HPV-52 (10.07%) and HPV-51 (7.91%). Overall, no significant differences emerged in terms of sperm concentration, sperm motility, and morphology between the two groups. However, a considerable reduction in sperm motility was found in the presence of HPV-51 or HPV-52. These data point to the importance of HPV screening in semen analysis to evaluate patients that might have a higher risk of infertility according to the type of HPV genotype.