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All the patients underwent SC and in the case of positive tests (CFU\u2009&gt;\u200910<jats:sup>6<\/jats:sup>), a microbiological susceptibility analysis. The subjects studied were subdivided into group A (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u2009452), with subjective signs of GTI; group B (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u2009478), male partners of infertile couples; and group C, 30 healthy normospermic subjects. In group B and in the control group, a semen analysis was performed.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Overall, the prevalence of positive SC was 21.5% (200\/930). The prevalence of positive SC in group A (113\/200; 56.5%) was significantly higher vs. group B (87\/200; 43.5%; <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u20090.01) and control group (1\/30; 3.3%; <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u20090.0001). In subjects with GTI, the prevalence of asthenozoospermic (96\/285; 33.7%) and oligo-asthenozoospermic (98\/285; 34.4%) was significantly higher vs. normospermic, oligo-astheno-teratozoospermic, oligozoospermic and azoospermic subjects (22\/285 (7.7%), 48\/285 (16.8%), 15\/285 (5.3%) and 6\/285 (2.1%), respectively; <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u20090.001). Finally, <jats:italic>Enterococcus faecalis<\/jats:italic> (Gram-positive) and <jats:italic>Escherichia coli<\/jats:italic> (Gram-negative) showed the highest prevalence of antibiotic resistance.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>The prevalence of positive SC is higher in GTI subjects; however, the SC could also be positive in subjects without GTI. Commonly used antibiotics have an increasing risk of being useless for the treatment of bacterial infections. Finally, the diagnosis of GTIs is important also for male fertility.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1007\/s10123-022-00273-6","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,24]],"date-time":"2022-08-24T07:10:28Z","timestamp":1661325028000},"page":"69-79","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Sperm culture and bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics in a large andrological population: prevalence and impact on seminal parameters"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"26","author":[{"given":"Soraya","family":"Olana","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6707-3413","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rossella","family":"Mazzilli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Iolanda","family":"Santino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniela","family":"Martinelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Virginia","family":"Zamponi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Manuela","family":"Macera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gerardo","family":"Salerno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fernando","family":"Mazzilli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Antongiulio","family":"Faggiano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniele","family":"Gianfrilli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"273_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"214","DOI":"10.1002\/j.1939-4640.1989.tb00091.x","volume":"10","author":"RJ Aitken","year":"1989","unstructured":"Aitken RJ, Clarkson JS, Hargreave TB et al (1989) Analysis of the relationship between defective sperm function and the generation of reactive oxygen species in cases of oligozoospermia. 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