Background: The role of bacterial infections on male infertility has always been controversial due to the lack of decisive analytical tools for examining seminal fluid specimens. As a result, these infectious processes lead to deterioration of spermatogenesis, impairment of sperm function and/or obstruction of the seminal tract.
Aims of the study: To investigate the role of bacterial infections in male infertility in the province of Al - Anbar, western Iraq and their pattern of susceptibility to antibiotics in vitro.
Patients and methods: Semen specimen were collected and processed in accordance with standard microbiology techniques for routine culture and antibiotic susceptibility.
Results: Out of 80 semen samples, bacteriospermia was observed in 42(52.5%). E. coli took first rank of isolation (13.7%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (11.2%), while Coagulase negative Staphylococcus was shown in (10%). Regarding antibiogram, E. coli was found to be susceptible to Meropenem (100%), followed by Amikacin(81.8%) and Levofloxacin (81.8%).
Conclusion:We can conclude from the study that is semen culture is an important diagnostic tool for all patients undergoing fertility investigations and bacteriospermia is an important cause of infertility, and for empirical treatment levofloxacin and meropenem seems to be drug of choice. The regular screening of bacterial pathogen in infertile man seems necessary because it affects infertility in several ways