{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]],"date-time":"2026-04-01T19:32:14Z","timestamp":1775071934313,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,1,7]],"date-time":"2020-01-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1578355200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Andrology"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2020,5]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>The management of male idiopathic infertility is heterogeneous. Although meta\u2010analyses reported the effectiveness on pregnancy rate, the real clinical impact of follicle\u2010stimulating hormone (FSH) was not evaluated so far. In Italy, FSH is approved by the National Medicines Agency (AIFA) for idiopathic infertile patients with FSH\u00a0&lt;\u00a08\u00a0IU\/L, independently of semen parameters.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Aim<\/jats:title><jats:p>Primary endpoint was to record the therapeutic approach to the male partner of infertile couples. Secondary aim was to assess changes of semen parameters during FSH treatment.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>A multicentre, prospective, observational, clinical practice survey was carried out, enrolling the male partner of infertile couples attending ten Italian participating centres. Inclusion criteria were as follows: couple infertility, age &gt;18\u00a0years and FSH serum levels &lt;8\u00a0IU\/L. Thus, all men in which AIFA allowed the FSH prescription were enrolled. Primary endpoint was the number of infertile patients treated with FSH. Secondary outcomes were semen parameters. The treating physician decided whether to offer FSH therapy and whether to re\u2010evaluate the male partner.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>A total of 718 infertile couples were enrolled, and 241 patients were re\u2010evaluated (median follow\u2010up: 4.5\u00a0months). In 64.9% (466 patients), a treatment was prescribed. FSH was prescribed in 397 patients (85.2% of treated men). Sperm concentration (<jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic>\u00a0=\u00a0.002) and normal form percentage (<jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic>\u00a0&lt;\u00a0.001) significantly improved during FSH administration. No correlation was found between these parameters and FSH duration (<jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic>\u00a0=\u00a0.545 and <jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic>\u00a0=\u00a0.627, respectively) or dosage (<jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic>\u00a0=\u00a0.455 and <jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic>\u00a0=\u00a0.533, respectively). Among patients treated with FSH, the incidence of oligozoospermia decreased from 73.0% to 56.0% (<jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic>\u00a0&lt;\u00a0.001) and teratozoospermia from 43.6% to 27.7% (<jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic>\u00a0&lt;\u00a0.001).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title><jats:p>This first nation\u2010wide survey reveals a FSH prescription rate of 55% in patients qualifying for treatment according to AIFA. Although the study was not designed to highlight FSH efficacy in male infertility, a slight increase in semen parameters was demonstrated in about half of the treated men without adverse events.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1111\/andr.12748","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,12,24]],"date-time":"2019-12-24T11:41:15Z","timestamp":1577187675000},"page":"637-644","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":20,"title":["Use of follicle\u2010stimulating hormone for the male partner of idiopathic infertile couples in Italy: Results from a multicentre, observational, clinical practice survey"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"8","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6607-7105","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daniele","family":"Santi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit\u00e0 di Endocrinologia Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Metaboliche e Neuroscienze Universit\u00e0 di Modena e Reggio Emilia Modena Italy"},{"name":"Unit\u00e0 di Endocrinologia Dipartimento di Specialit\u00e0 Mediche Azienda Ospedaliero\u2010Universitaria of Modena Modena Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sara","family":"De Vincentis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit\u00e0 di Endocrinologia Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Metaboliche e Neuroscienze Universit\u00e0 di Modena e Reggio Emilia Modena Italy"},{"name":"Unit\u00e0 di Endocrinologia Dipartimento di Specialit\u00e0 Mediche Azienda Ospedaliero\u2010Universitaria of Modena Modena Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Patrizia","family":"Alfano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro per la Tutela della Salute della Donna e del Bambino S. Anna Roma Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Giancarlo","family":"Balercia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Endocrinologia Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Molecolari Universit\u00e0 Politecnica delle Marche Ancona Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6950-335X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aldo E.","family":"Calogero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale Universit\u00e0 di Catania Catania Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Francesco","family":"Cargnelutti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratorio di Seminologia \u2013 Banca del Seme \"Loredana Gandini\" Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale \"Sapienza\" Universit\u00e0 di Roma Roma Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Maria Elisabetta","family":"Coccia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro di Procreazione Medicalmente Assistita Azienda Ospedaliero\u2010Universitaria Careggi Universit\u00e0 di Firenze Firenze Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rosita A.","family":"Condorelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale Universit\u00e0 di Catania Catania Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Alessandro","family":"Dal Lago","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit\u00e0 di Fisiopatologia della Riproduzione e Andrologia Ospedale Sandro Pertini Roma Italy"},{"name":"Universit\u00e0 \u201cSapienza\u201d di Roma Sperimentale Roma Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cristina","family":"de Angelis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Sezione di Endocrinologia Universit\u00e0 Federico II di Napoli Napoli Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3749-9573","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mariagrazia","family":"Gallo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit\u00e0 di Fisiopatologia della Riproduzione e Andrologia Ospedale Sandro Pertini Roma Italy"},{"name":"Universit\u00e0 \u201cSapienza\u201d di Roma Sperimentale Roma Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nicola","family":"Iannantuoni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ospedale S. 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