A groundbreaking study has developed an AI model that predicts male infertility risks without the need for semen analysis, making it easier for men to get tested for infertility. The study, led by Associate Professor Hideyuki Kobayashi from the Department of Urology at Toho University School of Medicine in Tokyo, Japan, offers an alternative to traditional testing that is often not readily available or accessible at medical facilities.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately half of all infertility cases are caused by male factors. Semen analysis is crucial for diagnosing male infertility but is often only available at specialized fertility clinics, which can create barriers for many men seeking testing. The new AI model, reported in the Scientific Reports journal, provides a promising solution by predicting male infertility risks based on hormone levels from a simple blood test.
The AI model was developed using data from 3,662 men who had undergone both semen and hormone tests between 2011 and 2020. The semen tests measured factors like semen volume, sperm concentration, and motility, while the hormone tests assessed levels of key hormones, including LH, FSH, testosterone, and estrogen. By combining these data points, the AI model achieved an overall accuracy rate of around 74%. Remarkably, it correctly predicted non-obstructive azoospermia, the most severe form of male infertility, with 100% accuracy.
In follow-up testing using data from 188 patients in 2021 and 166 patients in 2022, the model’s accuracy varied. In 2021, it predicted male infertility with about 58% accuracy, improving to 68% in 2022. However, the model continued to predict non-obstructive azoospermia with perfect accuracy in both years.
Associate Professor Kobayashi emphasized that the AI model is intended to serve as a first step in screening for infertility, rather than replacing traditional semen tests. He explained, “While it is not a substitute for semen testing, it offers an accessible, easy-to-perform alternative for healthcare facilities that do not specialize in infertility treatment.”
The commercial development of this AI model is underway, with CreaTact, Inc., a company based in Japan, working on the software and data analysis. Kobayashi hopes the model will eventually be used by clinical laboratories and health checkup centers, making male infertility testing more accessible and overcoming existing barriers.
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