Male infertility in a private Kenyan hospital.

OBJECTIVE

To study the incidence and aetiology of male infertility in Mombasa, Kenya.

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

SETTING

The Mombasa Hospital Private Clinics, from January 1996 to 2001.

SUBJECTS: Forty three men, aged between 21 and 55 years, referred to me with the chief complaint of infertility of unknown cause.

INTERVENTION: Patients were managed conservatively and operatively.

MEASUREMENT: Histological and laboratory evaluations.

RESULTS

Of the 43 patients observed, ten (23%) presented with signs of hypogonadism, fifteen (35%) with signs of acute and sub-acute inflammatory process (pain and swelling), four (9%) and prolactinaemia, two (5%) had signs of gonadotropin insufficiency and another two (5%) patients had varicocoeles. We did not establish the cause in ten (23%) patients.

CONCLUSION

Male infertility in Mombasa appears to be primarily due to hypogonadism (23%), although in an equal proportion the cause is not obvious (idiopathic). A significant number of the infertility cases can be attributed to easily treatable conditions such as infections and infestations (16%). The sample available is however not big enough to warrant any major conclusions as to the overall male infertility status in establishing possible avenues for future research.