Male Fertility May Be Impaired by CP/CPPS

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) has a significant negative effect on sperm concentration and other semen parameters, according to a recent systematic review and meta-analysis published online in PLoS One (2014;9:e94991).

Weihua Fu, MD, of the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China, and colleagues analyzed data from 12 case-control studies that included 999 cases and 455 controls. The meta-analysis showed that sperm concentration and the percentage of progressively motile sperm and morphologically normal sperm from patients with CP/CPPS were significantly lower than in controls. Semen volume, however, was greater in the CP/CPPS patients than controls. Results also demonstrated no significant difference between the group with regard to total sperm count, sperm total motility, and sperm vitality.

---