Use of empirical medical therapies for idiopathic male infertility in Australia and New Zealand

IF 3 3区医学 Q2 ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM

Clinical Endocrinology Pub Date : 2024-04-12 DOI:10.1111/cen.15059

Sarah R. Catford, Darren Katz, Robert I. McLachlan

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective

Idiopathic male infertility is common, yet there is no approved treatment. This study aimed to understand practice patterns towards empirical medical therapy (EMT) for idiopathic male infertility in Australia and New Zealand (NZ).

Design

Clinical members of the Endocrine Society of Australia, Fertility Society of Australia & NZ, and Urological Society of Australia & NZ were invited to complete a survey. Questions included demographics, EMT practice habits, and thoughts regarding infertility case scenarios. Unadjusted group differences between specialists, those with and without additional training in male infertility, and frequency of managing it were evaluated.

Results

Overall, 147 of 2340 members participated (6.3%); majority were endocrinologists and gynaecologists. Participants were experienced; 35% had completed additional training in male infertility and 36.2% reported they frequently manage male infertility. Gynaecologists were more likely to manage male infertility and attend education courses than endocrinologists and urologists. Beliefs about the effect of EMT on sperm concentration and pregnancy did not differ between speciality types. Many respondents considered all patient scenarios suitable for EMT. Of medications, hCG and clomiphene were selected most. Two respondents indicated they would use testosterone to treat male infertility.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates common use of EMT in Australia and NZ for idiopathic male infertility. The breadth of responses reflects a lack of consensus within the current literature, highlighting the need for further research to clarify their role in the management of idiopathic male infertility.

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澳大利亚和新西兰使用经验医学疗法治疗特发性男性不育症的情况

目的特发性男性不育症很常见，但却没有获得批准的治疗方法。本研究旨在了解澳大利亚和新西兰（NZ）对特发性男性不育症的经验性医学疗法（EMT）的实践模式。问题包括人口统计学、EMT实践习惯以及对不孕症病例的看法。调查评估了专家、接受过和未接受过男性不育症额外培训的专家之间的未调整群体差异，以及处理男性不育症的频率。结果2340名会员中有147人参与了调查（6.3%）；大多数是内分泌科和妇科医生。参与者经验丰富；35%的人完成了男性不育方面的额外培训，36.2%的人称他们经常处理男性不育问题。妇科医生比内分泌科医生和泌尿科医生更有可能处理男性不育症并参加教育课程。不同专业类型对 EMT 对精子浓度和怀孕的影响的看法没有差异。许多受访者认为所有患者的情况都适合进行 EMT。在药物中，选择最多的是 hCG 和氯米芬。两名受访者表示，他们会使用睾酮治疗男性不育症。结论这项研究表明，EMT 在澳大利亚和新西兰被普遍用于治疗特发性男性不育症。回答的广泛性反映出目前的文献缺乏共识，这突出表明有必要开展进一步研究，以明确EMT在特发性男性不育症治疗中的作用。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Clinical Endocrinology 医学-内分泌学与代谢

CiteScore

6.40

自引率

3.10%

发文量

192

审稿时长

1 months

期刊介绍： Clinical Endocrinology publishes papers and reviews which focus on the clinical aspects of endocrinology, including the clinical application of molecular endocrinology. It does not publish papers relating directly to diabetes care and clinical management. It features reviews, original papers, commentaries, correspondence and Clinical Questions. Clinical Endocrinology is essential reading not only for those engaged in endocrinological research but also for those involved primarily in clinical practice.