Infertility isn’t something that affects women. It can also affect men.

In fact male infertility is on the rise in many parts of the world, but the causes are still a matter for research.

One possible cause maybe viral infections, in particular latent Herpes.

Herpes is a complex virus, the most common version being Herpes simplex which is the base of the cold sore. However there are other variants of this virus which are now thought to be the cause of infertility in some men.

Speaking with reporters, one of the lead researchers behind a report published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology said: “Viral infections impair male fertility, either by directly invading the male genital tract cells, or by indirectly causing local inflammatory or immunological responses that could deteriorate reproductive functions.”

The spokesperson added: “The association between HSV infections and male infertility has been investigated, and some studies reported the association of HSV infection with infertility.”

Interestingly, other studies also back up these findings. For instance, HSV which is known to be implicated in low sperm count in males was detected in 49.5% of semen samples.

Since male infertility is a growing problem, medical scientists are now actively advising men to get checked for the presence of the Herpes virus. The latter may be latent or hidden.

Latent infections show no symptoms