An increasing amount of information indicates that marijuana has severe negative effects on sperm health. Here’s what expectant fathers need to know.
Men who aspire to become fathers and who occasionally smoke marijuana frequently ask if marijuana affects sperm. Does marijuana use reduce sperm count? Will the number of sperm rise if you quit using marijuana? Then, though, kids forget and return to watching cartoons. In your sober state on a Monday morning, it is natural to recall the original question: the effects of marijuana on sperm. There is accumulating evidence linking excessive marijuana usage to male infertility. And while men who smoke marijuana may be able to conceive, it may increase the chance of autism in their offspring. This finding raises significant considerations for prospective parents. Even when fathers-to-be consume marijuana in modest quantities, there are serious concerns regarding the effects of marijuana on sperm.
DOES MARIJUANA IMPACT SPERM AND FERTILITY?
If a couple is having difficulty conceiving, the medical consensus is that they should try abstinence for a few months.
Doctors who counsel guys attempting to conceive against using cannabis are not merely trying to dampen their high. Studies indicate that marijuana has a specific effect on sperm. Heavy marijuana usage affects sperm numbers, sperm motility (essentially, their ability to move toward an egg), and sperm deformity. In addition, a new review study reveals that marijuana has detrimental effects on sperm concentration, viability, and the capacity to undergo the necessary alterations in order to penetrate an egg. It is also possible that sperm levels of testosterone and other hormones that impact fertility could fluctuate, although there is little information to confirm this.
Generations of teenage pregnancies indicate that this does not imply that marijuana renders sperm fully ineffective. But for males seeking the greatest shot possible, it is worthwhile to clean up one’s act.
Good news if you’re not wanting to impregnate your spouse! Marijuana in tiny amounts helps fight erectile dysfunction and improve female libido.
THE EFFECTS OF CANNABIS ON SPERM
If this latest study is any indicator, the influence of marijuana on sperm may be more than previously believed. Rose Schrott, who was a PhD student at Duke University at the time the study was conducted and was a co-author of the paper, was astonished to find a strong link between male marijuana use and mutations in the gene implicated in autism.
Schrott chose to concentrate down on specific genes after additional research revealed 177 probable genetic alterations in the sperm of marijuana-using men. Using 24 males, 12 users and 12 non-users, animal models, and genome-wide sequencing of DNA segments, she and her colleagues discovered that when men smoked or ingested marijuana, the DLGAP2 gene underwent significant methylation. This is significant since the found DLGAP2 gene is significantly related with autism, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Our first study was the first of its type to examine marijuana usage in men and sperm alterations, so we weren’t necessarily expecting to find this gene involved. “However, we felt this finding merited further investigation due to its potential association with autism and schizophrenia,” Schrott explains.
As this is the first study of its kind, the findings are very speculative and must be replicated with a bigger sample size before men should be alarmed. “We are only able to report this connection in the sperm of marijuana-using guys. We do not know what this entails for youngsters,” Schrott says.
Experts and specialists feel that if the hazards of smoking marijuana were so great, the impacts would be more visible in society, particularly in California and some areas of Greenwich Village. This does not mean that using cannabis while attempting to conceive is risk-free. However, even lower concerns must be thoroughly explored in a large number of additional research. “There is no indication that heavy marijuana users have difficulty conceiving or a higher chance of having children with health problems. “However, no research has been conducted on these effects to far,” they state.
Since the domestic production of marijuana has expanded by a factor of ten over the previous quarter-century, it is tempting to conclude that the rise in autism cases could be due to marijuana’s mainstreaming. However, it is essential to note that the current study does not establish a direct link between male marijuana usage and autism in their offspring. Rather, it requires further investigation of the subject.
Until then, the greatest danger for expectant fathers who smoke marijuana is guilt if something goes wrong during the pregnancy. There may be no way to confirm that marijuana caused the issue. However, if parents are going to feel bad about this for the remainder of their child’s life, they should probably stop smoking marijuana. Regarding conception, the danger is not precisely worth taking. In this article, we will address the risks of pregnant women using cannabis.
