A unique view on male infertility around the globe.

Title

A unique view on male infertility around the globe.

Creator

Agarwal Ashok; Mulgund Aditi; Hamada Alaa; Chyatte Michelle Renee

Publisher

Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E

Date

2015
2015-04

Description

BACKGROUND: Infertility affects an estimated 15% of couples globally, amounting to 48.5 million couples. Males are found to be solely responsible for 20-30% of infertility cases and contribute to 50% of cases overall. However, this number does not accurately represent all regions of the world. Indeed, on a global level, there is a lack of accurate statistics on rates of male infertility. Our report examines major regions of the world and reports rates of male infertility based on data on female infertility. METHODS: Our search consisted of systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and population-based studies by searching the terms "epidemiology, male infertility, and prevalence." We identified 16 articles for detailed study. We typically used the assumption that 50% of all cases of infertility are due to female factors alone, 20-30% are due to male factors alone, and the remaining 20-30% are due to a combination of male and female factors. Therefore, in regions of the world where male factor or rates of male infertility were not reported, we used this assumption to calculate general rates of male factor infertility. RESULTS: Our calculated data showed that the distribution of infertility due to male factor ranged from 20% to 70% and that the percentage of infertile men ranged from 2.5% to 12%. Infertility rates were highest in Africa and Central/Eastern Europe. Additionally, according to a variety of sources, rates of male infertility in North America, Australia, and Central and Eastern Europe varied from 4 5-6%, 9%, and 8-12%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates a novel and unique way to calculate the distribution of male infertility around the world. According to our results, at least 30 million men worldwide are infertile with the highest rates in Africa and Eastern Europe. Results indicate further research is needed regarding etiology and treatment, reduce stigma & cultural barriers, and establish a more precise calculation.

Subject

Africa South of the Sahara/epidemiology; Africa/epidemiology; Asia/epidemiology; Australia/epidemiology; Europe/epidemiology; Humans; Infertility; Latin America/epidemiology; Male; Male/*epidemiology/psychology; Middle East/epidemiology; North America/epidemiology; Prevalence

Rights

Article information provided for research and reference use only. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).

Pages

37–37

Volume

13

Citation

Agarwal Ashok; Mulgund Aditi; Hamada Alaa; Chyatte Michelle Renee, “A unique view on male infertility around the globe.,” NEOMED Bibliography Database, accessed March 29, 2024, https://neomed.omeka.net/items/show/4857.