Infertility is a growing public health concern worldwide. While the investigative burden has historically been placed on women, male factors are implicated in nearly half of all infertility cases. Male infertility is defined as the inability of a male of reproductive age to achieve a pregnancy with a fertile female partner. Sub-Saharan Africa bears a disproportionate share of this burden, yet data from northern Cameroon remain largely absent from the scientific literature. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological and clinical features of male infertility among patients consulting three healthcare facilities in Ngaoundere, Cameroon. A mixed-design study combining a retrospective review of medical records (January 2020 – June 2023, n=72) and a prospective cross-sectional survey (June 14 – August 31, 2023, n=46) was conducted at the Ngaoundere Regional Hospital, the Cabinet Sanitaire La Reference, and the Sunshine Diagnostics Laboratory. Semen analysis was performed in accordance with WHO 2021 guidelines. Lifestyle and clinical data were collected via standardised questionnaire for the prospective cohort only. Hormonal assays (testosterone, FSH, LH) were performed on clinically indicated sub-groups. A total of 118 patients were included (mean age: 35.78 ± 9 years). Civil servants predominantly teachers constituted the largest occupational group (43.2%). Pathological semen profiles were identified in 78.0% (92/118) of patients. The leading quantitative anomaly was oligozoospermia (30.5%; 36/118), followed by azoospermia (12.7%; 15/118). Asthenozoospermia was the predominant qualitative defect (22.9%; 27/118). Among the 46 prospectively interviewed patients, primary infertility was most prevalent (56.5%). Stimulant consumption was reported by 32.6% of patients with abnormal profiles. Hormonal evaluation revealed elevated FSH in 13.6% and elevated LH in 21.2% of patients with pathological semen, exclusively from the abnormal-profile group for FSH. Male infertility is a significant public health concern in Ngaoundere, predominantly affecting men in their thirties. Semen abnormalities are highly prevalent (78.0%), with oligozoospermia as the leading defect. Elevated gonadotropins (FSH and LH) point to primary testicular impairment. Stimulant consumption and psychosocial stress represent modifiable contributing factors that warrant targeted public health intervention.
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