ACTIVITY TITLE: Andrology Certificate Course

ACCREDITATION STATEMENT

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

CREDIT DESIGNATION STATEMENT

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 18.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.   Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine has been approved to provide Professional Enrichment Education Renewal (PEER) credit through the American Board of Bioanalysis. A maximum of 18.0 PEER Credits will be recognized for this activity; program no. 22715.

Release Date:  October 1, 2012

Reviewed and Updated in 2015

Reviewed and Updated in 2018

Reviewed and Updated in 2021

Expiration Date: December 31, 2024

Estimated Time to Complete Activity: 18.0 hours

NEEDS ASSESSMENT and IDENTIFICATION OF PRACTICE GAP

Male factors are often the cause of a couple's failure to conceive.  The treatment of male factor infertility involves a collaborative effort between urologists, reproductive endocrinologists, laboratory personnel, reproductive biologists, and nurses. 

Discussion and evidence about male infertility treatments can be found not only in the scientific literature, but in the popular press and on the Internet as well. New technologies with implications for the treatment of male infertility are being developed and advancing rapidly. It is important, therefore, that clinicians, laboratory scientists and allied health professionals are aware of the basic evaluation and treatment, as well as progress in technology that may have an impact on treatments for male infertility now or in the future.  This area has been identified as a physician practice gap for reproductive care physicians based on recent competence assessments by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

The Society for Male Reproduction and Urology (SMRU) and the Society of Reproductive Biologists and Technologists (SRBT) have established a collaboration for an online Andrology Certificate Course.  This online course will provide an easily accessible and detailed content in the field of basic and advanced clinical andrology.   This course will provide a common knowledge set appropriate for the broad range of health care professionals involved in the treatment of the infertile male, provide training in the assessment of parameters of male reproductive function, and assist clinicians in identifying strategies for the treatment of male infertility. 

1.       American Society for Reproductive Medicine.  2011 Postgraduate Program Competence Assessment

2.       Male Infertility Best Practice Policy Committee of the American Urological Association; Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.  Report on optimal evaluation of the infertile male. Fertil Steril. 2006 Nov;86(5 Suppl 1):S202-9.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of this educational activity, participants should be able to:

1. Review the physiology and pathophysiology of male reproductive function.
2. Describe the key elements of the male factor evaluation.
3. Identify basic and advanced testing of reproductive function.
4. Assess appropriate surgical and nonsurgical treatments for male infertility.
5. Analyze present strategies for fertility preservation.

COURSE OUTLINE

A.  CAUSES OF MALE INFERTILITY

Lesson 1.         Male Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology

Lesson 2.         Aging as Related to Male Infertility

Lesson 3.         Endocrine Causes of Male Infertility

Lesson 4.         Environmental Exposures and Male Infertility

Lesson 5.         Infectious and Inflammatory Causes of Male Infertility

Lesson 6.         Genetic Causes of Male Infertility

Lesson 7.         Cancer and Male Fertility

B.  CLINICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE INFERTILE MAN  

Lesson 8.         Imaging of the Subfertile Male

Lesson 9.         Testis Biopsy

Lesson 10.      Clinical Algorithms: The Azoospermic Male

Lesson 11.      Clinical Algorithms: The Oligozoospermic Male

C.   MEDICAL and SURGICAL TREATMENTS for MALE INFERTILITY

Lesson 12.      Specific and Empiric Medical Therapies

Lesson 13.      Varicocele Repair

Lesson 14.      Vasectomy Reversal

Lesson 15.      Methods for Sperm Retrieval: Obstructive and Ejaculatory Duct Obstruction

Lesson 16.      Methods for Sperm Retrieval: Non-Obstructive

Lesson 17.      Fertility Preservation Strategies for the Infertile Man

Lesson 18.      Patient Selection for Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

Lesson 19.      Spinal Cord Injury and Male Infertility

D.  ANDROLOGY LABORATORY 

Lesson 20.      Personnel and Equipment

Lesson 21.      Quality Control and Regulatory Compliance

Lesson 22.      Semen Collection

Lesson 23.      Basic Semen Analysis

Lesson 24.      Advanced Semen Analysis

Lesson 25.      Intrauterine Insemination

Lesson 26.      The ICSI Procedure

Lesson 27.    Treatment of HIV-Positive Males

Lesson 28.    Sperm Cryopreservation Methodology

TARGET AUDIENCE

This activity is designed to meet the educational needs of new and experienced clinicians, laboratory scientists and allied health professionals with an interest in the evaluation and treatment of the infertile male. 

ACGME COMPETENCIES

Medical Knowledge

Patient Care

SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS

Successful completion of this educational activity requires the learner to:

·        View a course overview page, containing all CME and disclosure information, including acknowledgement of commercial support and disclosure of unlabeled use, prior to the start of each module.

·        Complete a 10-question pre-exam prior to each module. Learners should note any pre-exam questions answered incorrectly for clarification during module study.  

·        Be given the option of downloading a printed syllabus containing the presentation and narrative.

·        Participate in the interactive activity: Audio narration is synchronized with PowerPoint presentation that can be advanced, stopped or reversed as desired.

·        Complete a post-exam at the end of each module with feedback of correct/incorrect answers, scoring a minimum of 70% in two attempts.

·        Complete the evaluation survey.

·        Print certificate of completion.

DISCLOSURES FOR PLANNERS AND FACULTY

Planners

• Edward D. Kim, MD –Speaker’s Bureau: Astellas, Auxilium; Consultant: Repros
• Amy K. Sparks, PhD – Nothing to Disclose
• Robert W. Rebar, MD – Nothing to Disclose
• Andrew R. La Barbera, PhD, HCLD – Nothing to Disclose
• Nancy A. Bowers, BSN, RN, MPH – Nothing to Disclose 

Content Developers and Reviewers

• Ashok Agarwal, PhD – Nothing to disclose
• Joseph Alukal, MD - Speaker's bureau: Auxilium
• William Baird, PhD - Ownership/Stock: Cryobiology Inc., and Reproductive Diagnostics Inc.
• Doris Baker, PhD RER – Reproductive Educational Resources, Ltd., President of company and Author of educational Materials; Embryology Education.org;   Develop and provide CE and certification examinations in embryology.
• Natan Bar-Chama, MD –Speakers’ Bureau: Eli Lilly
• Susan Benoff, PhD – Nothing to disclose
• Nancy Brackett, PhD  – Nothing to disclose
• Robert           Brannigan, MD  – Research Grant: AbbVie
• Victor Brugh, MD – Nothing to disclose
• Douglas T. Carrell, PhD – Nothing to disclose
• Grace Centola, PhD - Consultant: New England Cryogenic Center, Cryos International, Advanced Cell Technologies, Androvia, Reprovantage
• Peter Chan, MD  – Nothing to disclose
• Greg Christensen, PhD – Nothing to disclose
• Chris De Jonge, PhD, HCLD  – Nothing to disclose
• Andrew Dorfman, MS – Employee: Genetics and IVF Institute
• Erma Drobnis, HCLD, PhD  – Nothing to disclose
• Michael Eisenberg, MD – Nothing to disclose
• Gary N. Frishman, MD – Consultant: Columbia Labs
• Bruce Gilbert, MD, PhD - Grant/Research: Auxilium, Eli Lilly; Sandstone Diagnostics; Novartis; NexMed
• Marc Goldstein, MD – Consultant: Theralogix
• Shalini Gunawardena, RN – Advisory Board: Walgreen’s and EMD Serono
• Russ Hauser, MD – Nothing to Disclose
• Stanton C. Honig, MD - Serono:              Consultant, Coloplast: Consultant; Endo: Speakers Bureau; Lilly: Speakers Bureau; Auxilium: Grant/Research; Slate: Consultant
• Rajasingam Jeyendran,              D.V.M.,H.C.L.D.,Ph.D – Nothing to disclose
• Sangita K. Jindal, PhD – Nothing to disclose
• Mohit Khera, MD - Consultant: Endo, Auxilium, Coloplast, American Medical Systems
• Tobias Kohler, MD, MPH - American Medical Systems: Consultant;  Coloplast: Consultant; Medtronic:   Consultant; Auxilium: Speakers Bureau; Lilly - Speakers Bureau
• Larry Lipshultz, MD –  Grant/Research: Auxilium, Sophiritis Study; Speakers Bureau: Auxilium, American Medical Systems, Repros Therapeutics, AbbVie
• Sheldon Marks, MD – Other: ASSI, Surgical Specialties
• Peter G. McGovern, MD - Grant/Research: EMD Serono, Merck, Ferring
• Dean Morbeck,  PhD, HCLD – Nothing to disclose
• Mahmood Morshedi, PhD, HCLD, CTBS – Speaker: Watson, Merck
• John Mulhall, MD - Grant/Research: Pfizer, AMS, Vivus; Consultant: AMS, Nexmed, Auxilium
• Ajay Nangia, MD  – Nothing to disclose
• Gianpiero Palermo, MD, PhD  – Nothing to disclose
• Sijo Parekattil, MD  – Nothing to disclose
• Mary Samplaski, MD – Nothing to disclose
• Jay Sandlow, MD – Nothing to disclose
• Mark Sauer, MD  – Nothing to disclose
•  Peter Schlegel, MD – Consultant: GNYUTES
• Mark Sigman, MD  – Nothing to disclose
• Cigdem Tanrikut – Nothing to disclose
• James P. Toner, MD, PhD – Research Support: Columbia Labs
• Moshe Wald, MD – Nothing to disclose
• Dan Williams, MD – Nothing to disclose
• Armand Zini, MD  - Stock ownership: YAD Technologies 

It is the policy of the ASRM to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all its educational activities. All faculty/authors participating in this activity were required to disclose any relationships they may have with commercial entities whose products or services are used to treat patients so that participants may evaluate the objectivity of the presentations. The content and views presented in this activity are those of the faculty/authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the ASRM.  Any discussion of off-label, experimental, or investigational use of drugs or devices will also be disclosed. The disclosure statements were reviewed by the Subcommittee for Standards of Commercial Support of the CME Committee of ASRM and any perceived conflicts of interest were resolved in accordance with the policies of the ACCME.

 STATEMENT OF SUPPORT

No commercial support has been provided for this activity.