title: The exposure of urologists and the treatment for male factor infertility on the Web sites of ART centers in Taiwan.
abstract: Couples with male factor disorders can have their own biologic offspring nowadays via in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection technologies. Because infertile couples commonly seek treatment options through public Web sites on the Internet, an appropriate exposure of urologic opinions on male factor infertility is important. It was therefore of interest to survey the extent of urologists' exposure on the official Web sites of the assisted reproductive technology (ART) centers. We surveyed the official Web sites of all 74 qualified ART centers in Taiwan. Web sites of these centers were evaluated for their information on male factor infertility and varicoceles, especially treatment suggestions for varicocele and attitudes toward urologist referral. Among the 74 centers, only 69 had established official Web sites. Forty-eight Web sites (69.6%) provided information regarding infertility, whereas only 42 Web sites (60.9%) mentioned male factor infertility and 23 (33.3%) had descriptions of varicoceles. The quantity and quality of disclosed information varied, 11 (15.9%) sites provided treatment opinions for varicocele, and only 4 (5.8%) supported surgical intervention. Most Web sites of ART centers in Taiwan had content on male factor infertility, but the vast majority did not mention urologist referral or varicocele treatment. Urologists' opinions are relatively less exposed on the Web sites of fertility services. Further efforts should be made by urologists to provide comprehensive information to the public and to reinforce the importance of urologist referral in male factor infertility.
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Department of Urology, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Fu-Yin
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Kuang-Kuo
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000628:therapy*; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D013624:Taiwan; D014572:Urology; D014646:Varicocele / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*