HIV and Male Fertility at the University Teaching Hospital Lusaka

Background: There has been anecdotal evidence of a declining male fertility in Zambia over the last 10 years¹. This prospective study of men seen in the fertility clinic was designed to look for an association between the increasing HIV infection in the population and male fertility.
Methods: This prospective study compared the prevalence of HIV in men with a confirmed diagnosis of infertility seen at the Urology Clinic, to the national HIV prevalence among men of child bearing age. The study was done from October 2006 to October 2007.
Results: A total of 34 men were diagnosed with infertility and included in the study. Among these patients 9 were seropositive. This gave an HIV prevalence of 26%. There was a statistically significant difference with the normal population of 13% (p = 0.043).
Conclusion: HIV infection is higher in men seeking fertility treatment than in the general population. Further studies are required to determine the precise relationship between HIV and Male Fertility at the University Teaching Hospital Lusaka.