Nicholas Sellke

Negri F, et al. World J Mens Health. 2026 ;44:e82. https://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.260136

In response to the 2021 Hospital Price Transparency Regulation by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), we evaluated hospital-reported price transparency and variability for testosterone (T) testing across the United States (US). Using the Turquoise database, hospitals disclosing free or total T test prices were identified. Hospital characteristics were compared between price reporters and non-reporters. Multivariable regression identified reporting predictors and assessed price variability by test and payer type. Of 6700 hospitals, 51.7% reported at least one T test price. Reporting was more common among larger hospitals (median 100 vs. 75 beds, p < 0.001), non-profits (62.7 vs. 44.3%, p < 0.001), and those with higher compliance scores (4.5 vs. 3, p < 0.001). Regional variation was significant (p < 0.001), but no urban-rural differences were observed (p = 0.71). Median prices were $84.90 (Interquartile range $44.0, $138.0) for total T and $92.27 ($49.17, $144.35) for free T, varying by payer: $79.43 ($40.82, $131.32) for commercial insurance and $98.00 ($54.65, $148.84) for self-pay. On multivariable analysis, hospitals in competitive markets and with more beds tended to have lower prices, while hospital ownership did not significantly affect pricing. Despite the legislation, nearly half of hospitals fail to report prices, driving significant price variation and limiting informed consumer choices.

Basran SS, et al. World J Mens Health. 2026 Jan;44:e4. https://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.250281

Introduction: Direct-to-consumer (DTC) telemedicine has emerged as an option for transgender patients seeking gender affirming hormone therapy (GAHT). We aimed to characterize the healthcare services provided by DTC telemedi... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on Tech Science Press

Due to the historic lack of transparency in healthcare pricing in the United States, the degree of price variation for vasectomy is largely unknown. Our study aims to assess characteristics of hospitals reporting prices for vasectomy as well as price variation associated with hospital factors and insurance status. A cross-sectional analysis was performed in October, 2022 using the Turquoise Database which compiles publicly available hospital pricing data. The database was queried for vasectomy prices to identify the cash (paid by patients not using insurance), commercial (negotiated by private insurers) and Medicare and Medicaid prices for vasectomies. Hospital characteristics of those that reported a price for vasectomy and those that did not were compared and pricing differences based on hospital ownership and reimbursement source were determined using multivariable linear regression analysis. Overall, only 24.7% (1657/6700) of hospitals reported a price for vasectomy. Those that reported a price had more beds (median 117 vs 80, p < 0.001), more physicians (median 1745 vs 1275, p < 0.001). They were also more likely to be nonprofit hospitals (77% vs 14%, p < 0.001) and to be in well-resourced areas (ADI 91.7 vs 94.4, p < 0.001). Both commercial prices and cash prices for vasectomy were lower at nonprofit hospitals than at for-profit hospitals (commercial: $1959.47 vs $2861.56, p < 0.001; cash: $1429.74 vs $3185.37, p < 0.001). Our study highlights the current state of pricing transparency for vasectomy in the United States. Patients may be counseled to consider seeking vasectomy at a nonprofit hospital to reduce their costs, especially when paying with cash. These findings also suggest a need for new policies to target areas with decreased price transparency to reduce price disparities.

The impact of ejaculatory abstinence on semen parameters using in-office semen analyses has been well-established; however, their variability has not been evaluated in men using mail-in semen analysis kits. Our study aims to describe how the sperm parameters using mail-in semen analysis tests change with abstinence and validate their equivalence to those seen with in-office semen analysis tests. We retrospectively reviewed the semen analysis results of men using mail-in semen analysis tests provided by Give Legacy, Inc (Legacy) facilities from 2019 to 2021. We collected their demographic information, abstinence duration, and semen parameters (conventional and kinematic) from their records. Semen samples were categorized as normozoospermic and oligozoospermic based on concentration. The shape of the relationship between abstinence duration and semen parameters was assessed via generalized additive models. We have collected 3,469 unique samples provided by 2,609 (75%) normozoospermic men and 860 (25%) oligozoospermic from all over the United States. In normozoospermic men, longer periods of sexual abstinence were linked to higher levels of sperm concentration, total sperm count, and total motile sperm. However, there was a decline in both total and progressive motility. Conversely, in oligozoospermic men, extended periods of abstinence led to a rapid decline in total motile sperm, as well as total and progressive motility. There was no significant correlation observed between sexual abstinence and variations in sperm morphology. Our study shows that variability of sperm parameters with abstinence, as measured through mail-in semen analysis tests, is comparable to the patterns observed with conventional in-office sperm testing.