Hepatitis B Virus Infection and the Risk of Male Infertility: A Population-Based Analysis

Objective To evaluate the risk of male infertility among patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Design A nationwide, population-based cohort study. Setting Not applicable. Patient(s) Men infected with HBV (n = 5,138) and men without HBV infection (n = 25,690). Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Male infertility, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. Result(s) The incidence of infertility was 1.59 times higher in patients with HBV infection than in those without HBV infection (2.21 vs. 1.39 per 1,000 person-years). The risk of developing infertility remained significant among patients with HBV infection (hazard ratio 1.52, 95% confidence interval 1.20–1.92) after adjusting for covariates in a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. Conclusion(s) The data show an increased incidence and risk of infertility among men with HBV infection compared with men without HBV.