Marijuana use defective sperm

The prevalence of marijuana use among males of reproductive age has never been higher, while male factor infertility is also on the increase. Researchers believe that the spread of legal medical and recreational marijuana use in the U. Marijuana contains the cannabinoid drug THC tetrahydrocannabinol , its primary psychoactive chemical, as well as other cannabinoids. Several studies have linked marijuana usage and male infertility but how the use of the drug affects infertility has been attributed to a variety of reasons. One study found that men who smoke marijuana frequently have significantly less seminal fluid, a lower total sperm count and their sperm behave abnormally.

With the increased legalization of cannabis, especially medical marijuana, researchers are interested in finding out more about its effects on health. One area that is currently under exploration is that of marijuana's effect on fertility. As recent research shows, men in Western countries are facing a fertility crisis. Sperm count in males of reproductive age more than halved between and For this reason, researchers have been looking at how different modifiable factors, such as lifestyle choices, might affect male fertility. In a new study, a team of investigators from the Harvard T.

Men who want to become dads and occasionally smoke weed are often paranoid about their sperm , and not just because they are stoned. While the findings raise many important questions for couples trying to become parents, they raise even more questions for doctors and scientists about if smoking pot while trying to conceive can be considered safe even in small amounts. Prior to the current research, questions of sperm and marijuana were mostly related to fertility. But for men who are not particularly worried about their sperm, marijuana in small doses can help combat erectile dysfunction and boost female libido, making it easier to have sex and theoretically conceive. Jamin Brahmbhatt, a urologist and sexual health expert at Orlando Health, explains.

As legal access to marijuana continues expanding across the U. New research from Duke Health suggests men in their child-bearing years should also consider how THC could impact their sperm and possibly the children they conceive during periods when they've been using the drug. Much like previous research that has shown tobacco smoke, pesticides, flame retardants and even obesity can alter sperm, the Duke research shows THC also affects epigenetics, triggering structural and regulatory changes in the DNA of users' sperm. Experiments in rats and a study with 24 men found that THC appears to target genes in two major cellular pathways and alters DNA methylation, a process essential to normal development. The researchers do not yet know whether DNA changes triggered by THC are passed to users' children and what effects that could have.