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Introduction: Antisperm antibodies (ASA) prevalence is high in Kisangani. ASA are one of the male factors of infertility that can reduce spermatozoa motility and cervical penetration or prevent acrosomal reaction and even alter embryo development. This study aims to determine the risk factors of ASA positivity among infertile men in Kisangani. Patient and Method: We conducted a case-control study during a period of 2 years in Kisangani on 111 men who consulted for conception and tested for ASA by ELISA. We did a simple pairing that concerned only the type of infertility. For a better balance between the number of cases and controls per stratum to provide better accuracy in the adjusted OR estimate, we performed a 1:1 match. Results: This study showed that businessmen [ORa = 5.0000(1.2452 − 20.0767)] and jobless [ORa = 5.8125(1.1477 − 29.4367)] were at risk of being positive for ASA. Violent blow to testicles [ORa = 6.7391(1.3455 − 33.7545)], cure of hernia [ORa = 4.3478(1.0722 − 17.6299)], Chlamydia infection [ORa = 4.7125(1.3405 − 16.5665)], leucospermia [ORa = 4.1429(1.0406 − 19.7155)]and presence of Staphylococcus aureus ] were associated to positive ASA. Conclusion: This study shows that factors that may lead to risky sexual behavior and physical or infectious trauma are important risk factors for ASA positivity. It is therefore necessary to search for them systematically during male infertility in order to guide the search for ASA.

Introduction: Gestational malaria is a major public health problem because it is a threat to pregnant women and their children. As Kisangani is a stable malaria transmission area and there is a paucity of data on the status of gestational malaria in our settings, we have found it appropriate to determine the prevalence of gestational malaria and its determinants in Kisangani City. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analytical study in Kisangani from January 1 to September 30, 2017. Our population study consisted of 1248 parturients recruited at delivery. We made the thick drop in peripheral blood from parturients at the admission and at the level of placental impressions after delivery. Results: The average age of the respondents was 25.3971 ± 6.2452 years; the overall prevalence of gestational malaria was 27.56% including 12.66% peripheral parasitaemia, 12.34% placental parasitaemia and 2.56% parasitaemia level and placental and peripheral blood impressions. Youngest age ≤ 18 years [OR (95% CI) = 2.44 (1.75-3.41), p < 0.001], primiparity [OR (95% CI) = 2.94 (2.00-4.32), p < 0.001] and positive HIV serology [OR (95% CI) = 3.01 (1.23-7.43), p = 0.008] increased the risk of gestational malaria; the use of mosquito net impregnated with insecticide [OR (95% CI) = 0.29 (0.14-0.61), p < 0.001] reduced this risk. Conclusion: The prevalence of gestational malaria is 27.56% in Kisangani. The youngest age ≤ 18 years, the primiparity and positive HIV serology of pregnant women were the most associated risk factors.

Introduction: Hysterosalpingography is an important tool in the investigation of the causes of female infertility. In developing countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, the HSG is the basic tool for performing first-line anatomical (pelvic) assessment. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of the different lesions observed in hysterosalpingography carried out during the assessment of infertile women monitored in Kisangani. The study set also out to look for differences in these lesions according to the type of infertility. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Kisangani from June 2016 to December 2018. The 130 cases of hysterosalpingography performed for female infertility assessment during the study period were included, of which 33.07% for primary infertility and 66.93% for secondary infertility. Results: The mean age of the patients was 33.52 ± 6.01 years; the history of pelvic inflammatory disease was noted with a predominance for secondary infertility (11% vs. 4.65%). Using hysterosalpingography, 7 (5.38%) patients had a normal result; 94 (72.31%) had tubal obstruction; 25 (19.23%) had hydrosalpinx; 11 (8.46%) had uterine fibroids; pelvic adhesions were suspected in 12.64% of cases. There was no obvious association between all these lesions and the type of infertility. Conclusion: We found that tubal obstructions were the most prevalent lesions in this study, regardless of the type of infertility. These lesions would reflect the high prevalence of septic abortions and sexually transmitted infections in developing countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Introduction: Infertility in a couple is a stressful situation. Among the causes is the presence of antisperm antibodies that play a harmful role in reducing fertility and negatively influencing in vitro fertilization. The aim of this study is to determine their prevalence among infertile patients in Kisangani. Patients and methods: We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study in health facilities in the city of Kisangani. Of the 1379 patients who consulted for conception, 311 were tested for antisperm antibodies by ELISA. Results: Of the 311 patients, 121 tested positive (38.91%). Women were significantly more likely to be positive (p-value = 0.013). Ig G was positive in 32.48% of patients and Ig A in 10.93%. Age was a significant predictor of the number of positive patients (p-value < 0.001). Compared to patients of ≤30 years of age, having 31 to 40 years of age or 41 years of age and older increased respectively 2 and 3 times the risk of being positive. In secondary infertility, women are twice as likely to be positive. Conclusion: The prevalence of antisperm antibodies is very high among infertile patients in Kisangani with predominance among women. Older age increases the risk of positivity. This test should therefore be integrated into infertility investigations as often as possible.