ABSTRACT
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections that are transmitted by sexual contact. They are most frequently transmitted through sexual intercourse through vaginal, oral, or anal contact. Pathogenic STD bacterial strains were isolated from the semen of infected patients in high concentrations; it was found that these bacteria might exert a direct damaging effect on the sperm by inducing apoptosis and necrosis with subsequent reduction of sperm count, motility, and alteration of normal morphology. STDs are associated with an increased number of leukocytes in semen with subsequent increase in oxidative stress, leading to subcellular changes in sperm membranes, mitochondria. Antisperm antibodies have been identified in the serum and seminal fluid of patients with STDs, namely C. trachomatis and human immunodeficiency virus. However, these findings are controversial and more studies are needed to confirm the role of antisperm antibodies in STD-induced male infertility. The most prevalent bacterial STD worldwide is C. trachomatis with roughly 100 million cases diagnosed daily.
