Reproductive endocrinologists are the gatekeepers for male infertility care in North America: results of a North American survey on the referral patterns and characteristics of men presenting to male infertility specialists for infertility investigations

Samplaski, Mary K.; Smith, James F.; Lo, Kirk; Hotaling, James M.; Lau, Susan; Grober, Ethan; Trussell, J. C.; Walsh, Thomas J.; Kolettis, Peter N.; Chow, Victor; Zini, Armand; Spitz, Aaron; Fischer, Marc A.; Domes, Trustin; Zeitlin, Scott I.; Fuchs, Eugene F.; Hedges, Jason C.; Sandlow, Jay; Brannigan, Robert E.; Dupree, James M.; Goldstein, Marc; Ko, Edmund; Hsieh, Tung-Chin; Bieniek, J; Shin, Dong‐Myeong; Nangia, Ajay K.; Jarvi, Keith

doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2019.06.011

Cited by 30 publications

(22 citation statements)

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“…As such, the inability to easily locate a reproductive urologist online constitutes a significant barrier to healthcare access. Recently, Samplaski et al (19) found that a very small but significant proportion (4.2%) of men seeing male fertility specialists were self-referred. This small number could be, in part, attributable to the difficulty of finding a male factor infertility specialist online.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Online access to male factor infertility care: the challenge of finding a specialist

et al. 2020

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Objective: To investigate internet search results available to couples searching for a male factor infertility specialist. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Online search engine. Patient(s): The phrase ''male infertility specialist '' was searched in Google for 50 states and Washington D.C. The top 10 results (i.e., first page) of each search were evaluated for website content. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): The first page of each search was evaluated for provider type (urology vs. obstetrics and gynecology), level of training (fellowship vs. none), male factor fertility information provided, and procedures offered. We compared search position rank (1-10) to determine the likelihood of finding an urologist versus a practitioner in obstetrics and gynecology. Result(s): A total of 419 results were identified; the majority were obstetrics and gynecology-related (N ¼ 229, 54.7%). Urology-related results appeared higher than obstetrics and gynecology-related results (median, 4 vs. 5). Andrology fellowship-trained urologists were identified in 153 (36.5%) results. Among 229 obstetrics and gynecology results, 152 unique practices were identified. A small portion (N ¼ 38, 16.6%) of these practices had a fellowship-trained urologist identified on the website. Most obstetrics and gynecology websites did not mention vasectomy reversal (N ¼ 116, 76.3%) or varicocele repair (N ¼ 93, 61.2%). A minority of practices offered referral to urologists for sperm extraction (N ¼ 23, 15.1%) or offered sperm retrieval themselves (N ¼ 23, 15.1%). Conclusion(s):When searching online for a male factor infertility specialist, most results identified obstetrics and gynecology physicians. A large proportion of obstetrics and gynecology websites lacked information on male factor fertility treatments and did not offer these treatments. These data indicate the need for a more robust online presence of male reproductive urologists to optimize online access. (Fertil Steril Rep Ò 2020;1:227-32. Ó2020 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Online access to male factor infertility care: the challenge of finding a specialist

et al. 2020

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“…In addition, the Male Reproductive Health Initiative (MRHI) has been organized to increase global awareness of male reproductive health and advocate to funding agencies the need for greater investment in research (39), and ReproUnion (https://reprounion.eu/) is organized to address big questions in reproductive medicine through international collaborations. Lastly, the Andrology Research Consortium (ARC) was founded to standardize data collection, clinical information and therapeutic approaches for the treatment of male infertility (40). As these and other efforts emerge and further mature, they will continue to accelerate the advancement of research in reproductive medicine.…”

Section: Collaborative Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defining new genetic etiologies of male infertility: progress and future prospects

Salas‐Huetos

Aston

2021

Transl Androl Urol

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Male infertility is a common and complex disease, manifesting as a wide range of phenotypes, ranging from apparently normal semen parameters with an inexplicable inability to conceive, to the complete absence of sperm production. The diversity of male infertility phenotypes, coupled with the extreme complexity of spermatogenesis has significantly confounded the identification of the underlying genetic causes for these conditions, though incremental progress has been made, particularly in the past decade. In this review, we discuss the progress that has been made to date, tools and resources that have proven effective in accelerating discovery of novel genetic markers for male infertility, and areas in which we see the greatest potential for advancing the field in the coming years. These include the development and use of robust phenotyping tools, the continued development of in vitro and animal models for variant validation, increased utilization and refinement of whole genome approaches for discovery, and further expansion of consortia that assemble groups of clinicians and basic researchers with the unified goal of disentangling the complex genetic architecture of male infertility. As these resources mature, and funding agencies increasingly recognize the importance of these efforts for improving human health, the discovery of novel genetic markers for male infertility will certainly continue to accelerate.

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“…Male factors, alone or combined with female factors, explain up to 50% of infertility cases, and when present, an evaluation by a urologist experienced in diagnosing and treating male factor infertility is highly recommended. In Brazil, like the United States and Canada (1), most patients are referred to urologists by (reproductive) gynecologists based on an abnormal semen analysis result. The work-up involves a detailed medical history and physical examination and, when indicated, hormone, genetic, and imaging tests, all of which are used to guide clinical management (2).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Best urological practices on testing and management of infertile men with abnormal sperm DNA fragmentation levels: the SFRAG guidelines

Esteves

Zini

Coward³

2021

Int. braz j urol.

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Reproductive endocrinologists are the gatekeepers for male infertility care in North America: results of a North American survey on the referral patterns and characteristics of men presenting to male infertility specialists for infertility investigations

Cited by 30 publications

References 8 publications

Online access to male factor infertility care: the challenge of finding a specialist

Online access to male factor infertility care: the challenge of finding a specialist

Defining new genetic etiologies of male infertility: progress and future prospects

Best urological practices on testing and management of infertile men with abnormal sperm DNA fragmentation levels: the SFRAG guidelines

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