A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW ON THE ROLE OF INFECTIOUS AGENTS IN FEMALE AND MALE INFERTILITY

Infertility is one of the major problems of today's societies, which affects a
significant proportion of couples around the world. In addition to genetic and physiological disorders
of female and male reproductive systems, infectious agents are also considered a significant part of the
causes of infertility in couples. The purpose of this study was to review the literatures regarding the
role of infectious agents (viruses, bacteria and protozoa) in female and male infertility.
Materials & Methods: The present review was conducted using articles published in PubMed, Scopus,
Science Direct, Wiley and Springer databases between 2001 and 2017.
Results: According to the findings of the investigated articles, various infectious agents such as
Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis,
Ureaplasma urealyticum, Ureaplasma parvum, Treponema pallidum, Human herpesvirus 6, Zika
virus, Human papillomavirus, Herpes simplex virus, Human immunodeficiency virus,
cytomegalovirus, Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus, Trichomonas vaginalis, Toxoplasma gondii, etc
can cause reduced fertility or infertility in couples by affecting the different parts of the reproductive
system.
Conclusion: Special attention to the role of infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa in
infertility, and further studies in this field can help us to better understand the causes of infertility as
well as treatment of infertility in a significant proportion of infertile couples.