Semen Analysis in “Urology-Naïve” Patients - A Chance of Uroandrological Screening in Young Males

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by James

Uroandrological examinations during youth are uncommon for men, unlike routine gynecological evaluation for females. Within the EcoFoodFertility project, 157 ostensibly healthy, urology-naïve males aged 18–40 were screened between January 2019 and July 2020 using semen, blood, and uroandrological assessments. A primary goal was detecting uroandrological diseases in asymptomatic individuals. Results showed 45.2% abnormal semen analysis, occasional hypogonadism, suspected testicular malignancy, varicoceles, and mild sexual dysfunction. Findings support the value of counselling plus physical exam and semen analysis for timely, cost-effective male health.

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CategoryHealthcare

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Reading Time20 min

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Abstract

Introduction

Brief Report Semen Analysis in “Urology-Naïve” Patients: A Chance of Uroandrological Screening in Young Males Stefano Puliatti 1, Stefano Toso 1, Marco Ticonosco 1, Salvatore Rabito 1, Maria Chiara Sighinolﬁ 1, Riccardo Ferrari 1, Vincenzo Rochira 2, Daniele Santi 2, Tommaso Trenti 3, Michele Navarra 4, Stefania Ferretti 1, Luigi Montano 5,6, * and Salvatore Micali 1 Citation: Puliatti, S.; Toso, S.; Ticonosco, M.; Rabito, S.; Sighinolﬁ, M.C.; Ferrari, R.; Rochira, V.; Santi, D.; Trenti, T.; Navarra, M.; et al. Semen Analysis in “Urology-Naïve”Patients: A Chance of Uroandrological Screening in Young Males. J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12, 3803. [https://doi.org/](https://doi.org/)[ ](https://doi.org/)[10.3390/jcm12113803](10.3390/jcm12113803) Academic Editor: Emad Ibrahim Received: 21 March 2023 Revised: 11 May 2023 Accepted: 25 May 2023 Published: 1 June 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 Department of Urology, University of Modena e Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy; [stefano.puliatti@unimore.it](stefano.puliatti@unimore.it) (S.P.) 2 Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Medical Specialties, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria of Modena, 41121 Modena, Italy 3 Toxicology and Advanced Diagnostics, Ospedale S. Agostino-Estense, 41126 Modena, Italy 4 Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, 98166 Messina, Italy 5 Andrology Unit and Service of Lifestyle Medicine in Uroandrology, Local Health Authority (ASL) Salerno, Coordination Unit of the Network for Environmental and Reproductive Health (EcoFoodFertility Project), Oliveto Citra Hospital, 84124 Salerno, Italy 6 PhD Program in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy * Correspondence: [l.montano@aslsalerno.it](l.montano@aslsalerno.it); Tel.: +39-333-9433861 Abstract: (1) Background: While females start their gynecological examinations during puberty, only few men decide to be visited by urologists in their youth. Given the participation in the EcoFoodFertility research project, our department had the opportunity to screen young males that were supposedly healthy. (2) Results: from January 2019 to July 2020, we evaluated 157 patients with sperm, blood analysis, and uroandrological examinations. The inclusion criteria were age 18–40 and absence of previous urological disease (urology-naïve) . The primary endpoint of the study was to record uroandrological diseases that are occasionally discovered during examination in asymptomatic young men. The average age was 26.9 years (range 18–40); average testicular volume was 15.7 mL (range 12–22 mL); and 45.2% reported abnormal semen analysis: 62 cases ofteratozoospermia, 27 asthenozoospermia, 18 oligozoospermia, and 2 azoospermia were discovered respectively; 4/157 patients were diagnosed with hypogonadism; 2 cases with suspicious testicular mass resulted in testicular cancer; and 31 suspected varicoceles and 8 patients with mild sexual dysfunctions were managed. (3) Conclusions: an uroandrological evaluation of young asymptomatic males allowed for the prompt diagnosis of different urological conditions, including cancerous ones, in our series. Despite being debatable, combining urological counselling with physical examination, semen analysis, and a laboratory proﬁle could be useful and cost-effective in order to ameliorate male health. Keywords: semen analysis; screening; young male patients; infertility; pollution; EcoFoodFertility project 1. Introduction Currently, the ﬁrst examination of urological screening is recommended around the age of 50 [1]; in clinical practice, even t

FAQs

Why was semen analysis and uroandrological screening performed in “urology-naïve” young males?

The study aimed to identify uroandrological diseases that are occasionally found during examination in asymptomatic young men, using semen analysis alongside physical and laboratory evaluations.

What inclusion criteria were used for the screened participants?

Participants were aged 18–40 and had no previous urological disease, defined as being “urology-naïve”.

What were the main findings from the screening period?

Among 157 patients, 45.2% had abnormal semen analysis, while some were diagnosed with hypogonadism and suspected testicular mass findings, and additional conditions such as varicoceles and mild sexual dysfunction were managed.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by James