A new study suggests that one-in-five men has been infected with a virus that can cause fertility issues - and most have no idea. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the UK. It's estimated that around 80 percent of us will be infected with at least one strain of HPV at some point in our lives.
Scientists have known for a long time that HPV can cause a range of cancers. It's also been believed it might be the cause of some cases of infertility. However, previous research into HPV’s effects on fertility has focused on women.
But a new research study has found that high-risk HPV strains - thought to be carried by one in five men - can also affect sperm quality, reports The Sun. It quotes a study, published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology which found high-risk HPV strains can suppress the immune system in the male genital tract. This could hinder the body’s ability to get rid of the infection - a process that can take up to a year.
Now scientists believe this immune system suppression raises the risk of catching other diseases that can damage male fertility. Professor Virginia Rivero from the National University of Córdoba in Argentina is one of the study's authors. She said: “Individuals often have no symptoms or signs, yet still carry HPV in the male genital tract.
” Professor Virginia and her team examined the sperm samples of 205 men with an average age of 35 who had suffered fertility issues or treatmen.