Semen analysis in “urology-naïve” patients: a chance of uroandrological screening in young male

Background: Differently from female population, where gynaecological examinations begin during puberty, few men decide to be visited by urologist in youth. Given the participation to the Ecofood-Fertility trial, our department had the opportunity to screen young males supposedly healthy. Results: From January 2019 to July 2020, we evaluated 81 patients with sperm analysis, blood analysis and uro-andrological examination. Inclusion criteria were age 18-40 and absence of previous urological disease (urology-naïve). The primary endpoint of the study is to record uro-andrological diseases occasionally discovered during examination in asymptomatic young men. Mean age was 25,7 years (range19-36); average testicular volume was 17,4ml (range12-22ml). 74,1% reported abnormal semen analysis: 43 cases of teratozoospermia, 12 astenozoospermia, 6 oligozoospermia and 2 azoospermia were discovered. 2/58 patients were diagnosed with hypogonadism. 2 cases with suspicious testicular mass resulted in testicular cancer. 14 suspected varicoceles and 6 patients with mild sexual dysfunctions were managed. Conclusion: An uro-andrological evaluation of young asymptomatic males allowed for the prompt diagnosis of different urological conditions, including cancerous ones, in our series. Despite debatable, urological counselling with physical examination, semen-analysis and a laboratoristic-profile could be useful and cost effective in order to enhance males’ health.