Archives of Men's Health

Background: Reproductive health is a focal point for governments during this epidemiological transition. By adopting innovative research strategies, reproductive health research centers can determine priorities and practical measures. They can also take impactful steps toward protecting family development and decreasing the population's average age through knowledge production. Therefore, this study is designed to investigate the knowledge production in reproductive health research centers in Iran during 2017-2021. Methods: Reproductive health research centers active for 5 or more years were evaluated during 2017-2021. In this study, three main axes including stewardship, knowledge production, and impact were evaluated with 15 key indicators. Results: This evaluation included 28 research centers related to reproductive and family health with at least 5 years of activity across 17 universities of medical sciences or organizations affiliated with the Ministry of Health in Iran. The final scores were calculated by summing the scores across the different axes. Based on the overall score, the top three research centers include (1) the Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center at the Academic Center for Education, Culture, and Research (ACECR), (2) the Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center at the (ACECR) and (3) the Preventive Medicine and Public Health research center at Iran University of Medical Sciences. Conclusion: Mission-oriented research activities in reproductive health research centers with the priority of treating infertility and childbearing care are effective in reducing the problem of population aging.

Background:  Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a male sexual condition that affects 10% to 25% of men globally. Identifying the underlying cause of ED in males is a critical aspect of diagnosis. For many years, the Rigiscan® devices have been utilized to distinguish between psychological and physiological erectile dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to look at the validity of an Iranian erection analyzer equipment for evaluating nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) in ED patients referred to Shahada-e-Tajrish Hospital in 2021. Materials and Methods: Patients who were diagnosed with vascular erectile dysfunction by doppler ultrasound evaluation and intra-cavernosal injection (ICI) test were included in this study. Also, a group of sexually healthy volunteers were included in the study as a control group. After receiving written informed consent, both groups were evaluated for two nights with the NPT test with the Iranian Erection Analyzer device. The results of the two groups were collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 45 patients with erectile dysfunction and 29 sexually healthy individuals were included in the study. Both groups were hospitalized for two nights in the isolation room of the urology ward and the NPT test was performed for them. Our results showed that the NPT test performed by the Iranian Erection Analyzer device with 62% sensitivity and 100% specificity is capable of distinguishing patients with erectile dysfunction from sexually healthy men. Conclusions: Based on our results, the Iranian Erection Analyzer device is accurate enough to diagnose patients with erectile dysfunction and can be used in clinics.

Background: Family tensions occur between parents and can be perpetrated by either partner, weakening the family foundation. Domestic violence against men by women is a prevalent yet understudied issue. This qualitative study aimed to explore the psychological and social factors that contribute to domestic violence against men by women. Methods: This qualitative study employed thematic analysis to explore the psychological and social factors contributing to family tensions and violence against married men by women in Iran. Married men who filed domestic violence complaints in Ilam, Iran (2023) participated in purposive group interviews. The recruitment process continued until theoretical saturation was reached, meaning no new themes emerged from subsequent interviews. A total of 16 men participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions focused on participants' experiences with family tensions and violence. These interviews were audio-recorded with participant consent. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the collected data, with themes and sub-themes identified and analyzed using MAXQDA 2022 software. Results: Thematic analysis revealed 112 codes, 30 subthemes, and 6 main themes that emerged as the underlying psychological and social factors contributing to domestic violence against men by women in the Iranian context. These main themes were: low psychological resilience, emotional dissatisfaction of the wife, gender role conflict, female chauvinism, marriage based on materialistic goals, and perceived violations of marital vows. Conclusion: Men with low self-esteem and societal pressures on gender roles were more likely to experience domestic violence by their wives. Interestingly, some wives held more power due to their financial or educational status. Materialistic marriages and broken vows further increased the risk of violence. These findings call for a multifaceted approach in Iran, addressing both men's mental health and societal issues, while also creating support systems for male victims.

Background:  Lymph Node involvement in patients with bladder cancer directly affects their prognosis after cystectomy. With the advent of various extensions for lymphadenectomy during radical cystectomy, Lymph Node Density (LND) has been introduced as a stable measure to quantify the extent of LN involvement. This study evaluates the prognostic value of LND on the survival of these patients in our center. Methods: Our historical cohort reviewed the clinical records of 165 patients who underwent cystectomy at Modarres Hospital in Tehran, Iran during 2012-2018. The presence of positive LNs, the total number of positive LN, and LN density were evaluated for their effect on Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) at 3- and 5-years post-surgery. In addition, we assessed the impact of age, gender, type of diversion, P stage, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), location of involved LNs, ureteral involvement, positive surgical margin, and the presence of carcinoma in situ on patients’ survival. Results: According to ROC curve analysis, an LND cut-off point of 10.82 was calculated to predict patients’ survival (AUC:0.70, 95%CI: 0.496-0.691). An LND >10.82 significantly increased the risk of cancer-related death. Among all study variables, LND had the most prominent effect on OS (HR:2.49, 95% CI:1.3-4.4, P=0.002). For 3- and 5-year RFS, LVI had the highest impact (HR: 2.63, 95% CI: 1.3-5.1, P=0.005 and HR: 1.96, 95% CI: 1.2-3.0, P=0.002, respectively) Conclusion: Our analysis indicates that an LND >10.82 has the highest predictive potential for OS among the pathological features of patients undergoing cystectomy.

The Men's Health and Reproductive Health Research Center is addressing a critical challenge: the health needs of a vital segment of society that is often overlooked. Men, who represent half of the population, play an essential role in family and societal security. Their health is intrinsically linked to economic, social, cultural, and overall health development.

Research reveals a concerning trend: men are generally less healthy than women, engage in riskier lifestyles, and exhibit lower levels of health awareness (1). They are more susceptible to various health risk factors, highlighting the urgent need for targeted interventions to enhance their well-being. Increasing health awareness through planning, training, and education is paramount. Furthermore, the prevalence of primary infertility in Iran stands at 18.3%, with 32% of cases attributed to unexplained causes, 12.5% to female causes, and 13.6% to male causes. As in many countries, infertility presents significant psychological and social challenges for Iranian couples (3).

The issue of infertility affects millions of couples in Iran (4), carrying substantial implications for both individual and societal well-being. Comprehensive healthcare services for this demographic are crucial, especially considering population policies aimed at fostering healthy families.

The coronavirus was the causative agent of a global epidemic from 2019 to 2022. The viral effect on sexual health and hormonal profile plus the rate of healthy births are important issues in general health. In this review, we studied the effect of coronavirus on reproductive health using more than 70 articles to understand the interaction of the virus with the reproductive system.

High temperatures due to fever elevated ACE2 expression in both testis germ and somatic cells. Furthermore, they exhibit significantly elevated luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, but decreased testosterone, LH, and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)/LH ratios, which may indicate the possibility of hypogonadism and/or infertility. In contrast, women diagnosed with SARS-CoV infections during the first trimester of pregnancy are at a higher risk of spontaneous miscarriages, while infections occurring during pregnancy are more likely to result in preterm delivery.

The Coronavirus can theoretically and potentially affect men’s fertility and sexual development, and possibly cause miscarriage in the first trimester of pregnancy with an unknown mechanism. The findings cannot affirm whether the hormonal alterations are due to a direct/indirect effect of the virus. Therefore, more studies are needed to answer related questions.