Male Sexuality

Regular smoking causes a 23% decrease in sperm density (concentration) and 13% decrease in motility (when averages are taken from nine separate studies). To a lesser extent, smoking causes an increased number of sperm with abnormal morphology (shape). Smoking causes toxicity to the seminal plasma (the fluid ejaculated with the sperm): sperm from non-smokers were adversely affected (had significantly decreased viability) when placed in the seminal plasma (hormonal) of smokers. Smoking effects the hypothalamic-pituitary- gonadtropin axis, most commonly affecting levels of estradiol and estrone (estrogens, which are hormones found in higher concentrations in women). The Leydig Cells, which are in the testes and produce testosterone, may have secretory dysfunction.

Marijuana (Cannabinoid)
often causes a decreased average sperm count, motility, and normal morphology. It effects the hormonal axis (HPG), causing decreased plasma testosterone. It may also have a direct negative effect on the Leydig Cells.
Cocaine, even infrequent cocaine use, causes decreased sperm counts, motility and normal morphology. These effects can be found in men who have used cocaine in the two years proceeding their initial semen analysis.

A low sperm count (or no sperm at all) may be caused by severe mumps infection, hormonal disorder, hereditary factors, or infections. It can also be triggered by wearing tight or restrictive underwear, excessive use of tobacco, alcohol or illegal drugs, and exposure to radiation or poisonous chemicals.

A man’s sperm may also be “abnormal,” which is said to be malformed and has a short life span. Thus, the sperm couldn’t “swim” correctly. This is brought on by abnormal development or inflammation of the testicles and swollen veins in the scrotum. This condition heats the inside of the scrotum and may critically affect the sperm production.

If you have concerns regarding male infertility, you should see a doctor immediately, especially if you tried getting pregnant for already a year. A physical examination may pinpoint the exact or underlying problems that may be causing the infertility and treat them early on. The examination would take into account your medical history, a culture of fluid from the penis, a blood test (to check for hormone problems or infections), and a semen analysis (to check the number and quality of sperm). More testing may be necessary, depending on the results.

The use of anabolic androgenic steroids has reached almost epidemic proportions. 6.6% of 12th grade male use or have used them to build muscle mass and improve athletic performance.

Alcohol
Moderate alcohol use does not affect male fertility. Excessive alcohol use
* Affects the hormonal axis and is a direct gonadotoxin.
* It may cause associated liver dysfunction and nutritional deficiencies which are also detrimental for sperm production.

Cut back on alcohol- Alcohol is known to be the worst of them all when it comes to human health and the same applies to sperm count. Alcohol is known to have adverse affects on your body and sperm count. Therefore avoidance of alcohol at all costs is very important in order to increase sperm count.

Lubricants
Most vaginal lubricants, including K-Y Jelly, Surgilube, and Lubifax are toxic to sperm. Couples should avoid their use during the fertile time of a woman’s cycle.

Eat right- This is where it all starts. Your body is the perfect reflection of what you eat and the same applies to your sexual life and sperm count. Due to fast life everyone out there is into fast food. In order to increase sperm count you need to increase the intake of vitamin rich foods and consume as much natural foods as possible.

Water- Water is one of the best solutions to all health problems and does help in increasing sperm count as well. Make it a point to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day if not more.

Cut back on caffeine- Foods such as coffee, soft drinks etc are known to harm sperm production in the long period. Make it a point to stay away from such drinks and drink as much water as possible in order to increase sperm count.

The general purpose of a man’s evaluation (semen analysis and, if appropriate, a consultation) is to identify any problems and address them in order to maximize the quality of the man’s semen. This may reduce the need for more complicated interventions for the female partner. It is also important to rule out significant medical problems that may contribute to a poor semen analysis. Therefore, the most important first step in any man’s evaluation is the semen analysis.

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In 60% of all couples experiencing infertility, a male factor is involved. It is primarily a male factor in 40% of these couples and in an additional 20% of these couples, it is a combination of male and female factors. Therefore, when a couple is having trouble conceiving it makes sense not only to evaluate the woman but to evaluate the man as well.The problem of male infertility is in male ejaculation problems and low sperm count. When the man can’t properly release semen to get the woman pregnant, he can be suffering from erectile dysfunctions, premature ejaculation. Low sperm count can be caused by hormonal disorder, infections and by wearing tight underwear. If you have concerns regarding male infertility, you should see a doctor immediately, especially if you tried and failed.

Sperm takes three months to produce and mature and there is often a 4-6 month delay between treatment of the man and resulting changes in the sperm. Since the evaluation of the woman may take several months, it is recommended that a comprehensive and accurate semen analysis be scheduled at the outset in order to evaluate the male partner. Treatment of the man can then occur at the same time as treatment of the woman and there will be no additional delay once the woman’s treatment is completed.

Male infertility may be treated. 50 percent of male infertility cases can be remedied. Treatment by conventional methods may help the couple get pregnant through normal sexual intercourse. There are medications, antibiotics, and sperm volume pills that a man can take to help in sperm production, get rid of infection, or aid in hormonal imbalance. Also, you can try wearing loose clothing like boxers or avoiding hot tubs, saunas, and long hot showers.

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Infertility, defined as the failure to achieve pregnancy after one year of unprotected intercourse, affects 10 to 20 percent of couples. At least 40 percent of the time, the woman is unable to conceive because her male partner has a physical problem. As with female fertility, male fertility is affected by what foods and nutrients are eaten–although some of the specifics are different. Following is a review of the fertility factors that seem most important for men.

*Alcohol is a male reproductive tract toxin. Consumed in a large enough quantity over a long enough period of time, alcohol can cause infertility.1 Fortunately, findings from animal research suggest that the damage alcohol causes to sperm is at least partially reversible if males infertile from alcohol avoid drinking it for a “moderate” period of time.2

*Vitamin B12 deficiency also plays a role in fertility. Here’s how: Intrinsic factor is a substance necessary for the proper absorption of B12. When an aging stomach lining fails to secrete enough intrinsic factor, a B12 deficiency results causing serious or pernicious anemia. Eventually, this condition can cause infertility in both men and women. In one study, infertility caused by pernicious anemia was shown to be reversible with vitamin B12 injections.3

It is not necessary to obtain symptomatic or laboratory evidence of vitamin B12 deficiency because, among infertile men, even those without evidence of a B12 deficiency may respond to supplementation. For example, in one double-blind study 375 infertile men received daily injections of 1,500­6,000 mcg of mecobalamin, a common form of the vitamin, although none of the participants had been evaluated for vitamin B12 deficiency. However, more than half of the men whose sperm counts were very low responded with increased sperm production.4

*Vitamin C has long been important to fertility. In recent years, we have become increasingly aware of the destructive effects of free radicals, which contribute to the development of many disorders. Vitamin C helps protect sperm against free radical damage.5

Several studies have found vitamin C supplementation not only increases sperm counts but improves various measures of sperm health.6 The vitamin’s therapeutic effects are not limited to changes seen in the laboratory. In one study, two months after 30 infertile but otherwise healthy men began receiving 1 g of the vitamin daily, all of their wives had become pregnant, whereas none of the wives of a similar group of men who received a placebo had become pregnant.7

*Zinc is among the most important nutrient minerals in regards to male fertility. Zinc levels in the seminal plasma (the fluid in which the sperm exist) are directly related to sperm mobility,8 and dietary zinc restriction reduces both sperm count9 and seminal plasma volume.10 Moreover, infertile men with azoospermia (absence of living sperm),11 as well as those with oligospermia (low sperm count),12 may have decreased seminal zinc levels.

Several clinical trials have found zinc supplementation to be an effective fertility treatment. In one study, 14 infertile men with unexplained low sperm counts (below 40 million/mL) received 220 mg of zinc sulfate daily. After four months, there were significant improvements in sperm count and in the number of progressively motile and normal spermatozoa–and the wives of two men conceived.13

The results of other studies suggest treatment of a low initial plasma testosterone14 or surgical correction of a varicocele (abnormal dilation of spermatic cord veins) prior to zinc supplementation15 increase the chances of success. In this latter study, of the entire group of infertile men who received zinc, only those who had a varicocelectomy prior to starting zinc supplementation had significant improvements in sperm counts and mobility; in other words, sperm did not improve unless the men had both surgery and zinc supplementation.

*L-arginine, a testosterone precursor, in adequate dietary amounts is necessary if a man is to maintain a normal sperm count.16 Adequate L-arginine is also important for sperm mobility, both because it is the precursor in the synthesis of polyamines17 and because it is the precursor to nitric oxide.18 The polyamines putrescine and spermidine are organic components important to sperm movement. Nitric oxide within spermatozoa also appears to be necessary for adequate sperm mobility. In fact, pathospermia (abnormal sperm) sometimes seems to be caused by abnormal arginine metabolism.19

Arginine aspartate, 9 g daily, has been effective in some cases of asthenospermia (reduced sperm mobility).20 Also, L-arginine, 4 g daily, has been shown to improve sperm counts in men with oligospermia, especially those with counts between 20 million and 50 million sperm per ejaculate.21

Because these simple, inexpensive and safe nutritional interventions can often transform an infertile couple into proud parents, they should be routinely considered in all infertility treatment programs.

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