Background: The infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) represents a serious health problem in the world. This is because are associated with cervical cancer development in when HPV of high-risk type 16 and 18 are involved. A genital infection by these virus types are normally asymptomatic in the male and an infection to sexual partner is possible.
Objective: The objective of the present is the detection of HPV-16 and HPV-18 in semen samples from patients included in an assisted reproduction protocol.
Material and method: Semen samples were obtained from 149 patients that are included in an assisted reproduction protocol in our institution. Semen was examined according with WHO criteria and detection of HPV-16 and HPV-18 was realized with real time PCR protocol with commercial kits. Also, conventional histology techniques were used to assess spermatozoo morphology and leukocyte count.
Results: 149 semen samples were analyzed from patients with an age average 37.27 (22-56 age). The 56.18% present oligozoospermic and take into account all patients, 59.73% was positive for HPV-16 (29.56%), HPV-18 (16.11%) or both (14.09%). The infection with HPV-16 was more frequent in both oligozoospermic and normozoospermic patients. In this latter, a minus abnormal spermatic cells and leukocytes were found in regard to oligozoospermic patients.
Conclusions: There is an important percentage off human asymptomatic male subjects that present in your semen a positive result for high risk papillomavirus. This is very important for the sexual partner because this represent a problem for public health that most be in attention.