Detection of Human Papillomavirus from Sperm Impaired Male Patients Presented at Reproductive Health Clinic of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide, which affects both males and females. Much research on HPV has focused on women, but men are equally affected. This study aimed to determine impairment of sperm parameters and detect HPV genome among patients presented at the Reproductive Health Clinic of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria. Semen samples from 156 male patients were processed, and the study found an overall prevalence of 6.7% of HPV among male patients. The presence of the HPV genome was confirmed using the GeneXpert system. Semen quality examination revealed the occurrence of 41.7% abnormal sperm motility and 38.5% abnormal sperm morphology. A total of 41.0% of the patients had low sperm count (0-37.9 x 106 mL). The study on the prevalence of HPV among men with reproductive impairment serves as a valuable addition to the knowledge available to the general public. It sheds light on an underexplored aspect of HPV's impact on male reproductive health, encourages open dialogue about sexual health, and reiterates the importance of preventive measures like vaccination and also emphasises the importance of awareness of potential consequences of HPV infection, safe sexual practices, and vaccination for those planning parenthood.