title: Are seminal fluid microorganisms of significance or merely contaminants?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the contribution of urethral and skin flora to seminal fluid cultures and the relation between bacteriospermia and seminal leukocytes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  IVF-ET unit at a university teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty men starting an IVF-ET program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Culture of sequential first-catch urine, midstream urine, and semen samples with evaluation of seminal leukocytes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A comparison of microbes from first-catch urine, midstream urine, and semen samples and the correlations of seminal microbes, elevated leukocyte concentrations, and pregnancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Microorganisms were detected in 37% of first-catch urine samples, 27% of midstream urine samples, and 51% of semen samples. Most microorganisms were gram-positive microbes and were common to both urine and semen samples. Mean and median leukocyte concentrations were 0.98 x 10(6)/mL and 0.10 x 10(6)/mL, respectively. There was no correlation between seminal microbes and raised leukocytes or between leukocytospermia and/or bacteriospermia and pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Microorganisms are commonly found in insignificant quantities in the semen of asymptomatic men. The frequent isolation of gram-positive microbes common to both urine and semen and the absence of a correlation with raised leukocyte concentrations suggest that bacteriospermia most commonly represents contamination.
authors.affiliation: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Academic Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. ecottell@rcsi.ie
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cottell
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McCaffrey
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mallon
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barry-Kinsella
mesh_terms: D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012661:Semen / Q000382:microbiology*; D014556:Urine / Q000382:microbiology