Sociodemographic and Risk Factors Associated with Human Papillomavirus Infection among Sperm-Impaired Male Patients Attending Reproductive Clinic at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide and has increasingly been implicated in male reproductive dysfunction. However, evidence on the sociodemographic and behavioural determinants of HPV infection among sperm-impaired men in Nigeria remains limited. This hospital-based cross-sectional study investigated the sociodemographic characteristics and risk factors associated with HPV infection among 156 sperm-impaired male patients attending the Reproductive Health Clinic of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria. Semen samples were evaluated for sperm concentration, motility, and morphology using standard laboratory methods, while HPV DNA was detected using the GeneXpert HPV assay. Sociodemographic, behavioural, and clinical information was obtained through structured questionnaires and analysed using IBM SPSS version 23. Chi-square tests and odds ratios were used to determine associations at a significance level of p < 0.05. The overall HPV prevalence was 6.7%. Although HPV infection was more frequent among men aged 37–50 years, age was not significantly associated with infection. Single participants had significantly higher HPV prevalence than married men. Lower educational attainment and lack of circumcision were associated with poorer semen quality. History of organ transplantation and presence of genital warts showed significant associations with HPV infection, while dysuria and difficulty with urine flow were significantly related to impaired semen quality. The findings demonstrate that HPV infection among sperm-impaired men is associated with selected sociodemographic and clinical factors. Enhanced HPV awareness, male vaccination, safer sexual practices, and incorporation of HPV screening into infertility evaluation may improve reproductive health outcomes in Nigeria.