A Call for Over-the-Counter Sperm Testing

Abstract

BACKGROUND

HPV is the most common of sexually transmitted diseases. Humans are the only known carriers of HPV, with males acting as vectors and reservoirs. HPV is most prevalent in semen, where it is found attached to the head of spermatozoa. There are more than 200 known types of HPV. Most types of HPV do not cause cancer, and are considered to be low risk. However, types 16, 18, 32, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68 have been present when cervical cancer is detected, and are considered to be high risk. Of these high-risk types, 16 and 18 are detected most often.

METHOD

Peer reviewed published articles from The Journal of Infectious Diseases, BioMed Central Infectious Diseases, Journal of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology; the World Journal of Men’s Health, along with studies published by Pubmed, Project Monitoring Control, The American Cancer Society, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization were systematically searched for studies and information that referenced a connection between HPV, cervical cancer, spontaneous abortion, miscarriages and spermatozoa.

RESULTS

Worldwide, HPV infection causes considerable morbidity and mortality. HPV is the sole cause of cervical cancer. Identifying HPV types can help protect women against infection. HPV DNA can be isolated from spermatozoa, semen, and the vas deferens. Spermatozoa can transfer viral DNA to the egg through the fertilization process and can cause miscarriage. Women under the age of 25 are the most vulnerable and also the least likely to get screened for cervical cancer.

CONCLUSION

Sperm testing has led to the identification of more than 200 types of HPV, including 14 that cause cervical cancer. Sperm testing kits capable of detecting the most common cancer-causing HPV have been developed for lab use, and similar to over-the-counter pregnancy tests, should be made available to the general public. Public awareness of the information contained herein, combined with ease of access to sperm testing, can drastically reduce infection of high-risk HPV types, along with the cancers they cause.

A Call for At-Home HPV Testing

According to the American Cancer Society and the World Health Organization, 570,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2018, and 311,000 died from it that same year. In January 2021, The Global Cancer Observatory reported that worldwide, there were 604,127 new cases of cervical cancer that resulted in 341,831 deaths in 2020. Approximately 1.3% (4,290) of those worldwide cases were in the United States. As the number of cases and deaths have continued to increase over the past 20 years (Mathers and Boschi, 2000), it would be a conservative estimation to say that since the year 2000, nearly 5,000,000 women have died from a disease that experts say is nearly 100% preventable (Nour, 2009), and that worldwide, more than half that number (another 2.9 million) will die from cervical cancer within the next five years alone, including 37,700 in the United States.

Although HPV affects both males and females, overall, it appears to have a much greater negative impact on women, with women under the age of 25 at the highest risk (Rousseau et al., 2001). Yet studies indicate that the women who are at the highest risk are also less likely to get screened. It is frequently stated that HPV is a common, sexually transmitted disease. What is stated much less often, is the indication that not only are human males shown to be reservoirs and vectors of HPV (Kombe et al., 2020), but that it is their spermatozoa that carry HPV, and is capable of delivering it straight into the female egg at the moment of fertilization (Zacharis et al., 2018). HPV attaches itself to the head of sperm (Foresta et al., 2011) and when an HPV infected sperm cell fertilizes an egg, the HPV can negatively affect the developing blastocyst (Zacharis et al.). More than 200 types of HPV have been identified (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021), and most do not cause cancer. However, while most HPV types naturally clear the body within two years, some HPV types can linger in the body for years or decades before making itself known (CDC, 2014). Although women under the age of 25 are not likely to have cervical cancer, if sexually active, they are the most vulnerable to becoming infected with a cancer-causing strain of HPV (Wang et al., 2021). In addition to cancer, HPV types 16 and 18 have been shown to cause sperm DNA fragmentation (Boeri et al. 2019), which can lead to spontaneous abortions (Syrjänen, 2010). Spontaneous abortions have also been shown to be a marker for premature death in women, primarily as a result of cardiovascular disease (Wang et al., 2021).

Cytology tests for women over the age of 21 are recommended every three years in an effort to catch abnormal cervix cells early (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists [ACOG], 2021). Vaccines are also an option through age 26. However, although not yet available to the public, technology exists packaged in kits and marketed to science labs, that can easily test spermatozoa and semen for a variety of HPV types. These spermatozoa test kits should be modified, if necessary, for home use, and sold over the counter to the general public, in an effort to prevent cervical cancer, and to reduce spontaneous abortions (CDC). Whether male or female, HPV causes several types of cancer (Senkomago, et al., 2019). Awareness of a partner’s HPV type could go a long way towards eliminating all cancers known to be caused by HPV.

References

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