[Sexually transmitted diseases as causes of disorders of male fertility].

Infections with sexually transmitted germs may affect the male fertility in different ways. Possible consequences are impairment of the spermatogenesis, induction of auto-immune mechanisms, spermatodysfunction, and inflammatory occlusion of the ejaculatory duct. Only in high concentrations, bacteria (e.g. E. coli) may result in reducing the motility of spermatozoa. The germ counts observed under clinical conditions, however, do not come up with these high levels. The same is true for mycoplasmas. As a whole, sexually transmitted infections only play a minor role with regard to male infertility.