Abstract: The success rate of assisted reproductive technology（ＡＲＴ） was affected by many factors, including microorganism infection. In males, Gardnerella vaginalis（ＧＶ） infection can cause urinary tract infection, pyelonephritis, encephalitis, liver abscess, lung abscess and other diseases. And in women, GV infection can cause vaginitis, infertility, abortion and others. In recent years, the detection rate of positive GV in male infertility patients with unknown causes was significantly higher than that in normal males. The study on the relationship between GV infection and male infertility, and the outcomes of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer （IVF-ET）, was limited so far. What effect of GV infection on the sperm quality and the embryo development, and the pathogenic mechanism of male infertility related to GV infection, is still not clear. The GV epidemiology in men, the possible mechanism of infertility related to GV infection, the effect of GV on the embryo development and the clinical application of semen GV test in ART were reviewed in this paper.

Key words: Gardnerella, Infertility, male, Fertilization in vitro, Embryonic development, Semen, Embryo transfer