Semen Quality in Relation to Lyfestyle Factors, Medications and Toxic Exposures-Missouri Center for Reproductive Medicine & Fertility

Obesity and poor diet: obesity is associated with lower semen quality, and even modest weight loss can improve semen quality in some men. Deficiencies in vitamin E, vitamin C, selenium, zinc and folate have been linked to lower fertility in men.

Illicit drugs: there is good evidence for negative effects from marijuana, anabolic steroids, and cocaine.

Medications: Some medications are known to reduce semen quality, including testosterone replacement drugs, antidepressants (some tricyclics, citalopram, sertaraline, phenothiazines), BPH medications (finasteride), sulfasalazine, cyclosporine, colchicine, allopurinol, some antibiotics (tetracycline, erythromycin, clotrimoxazole, chloroquine), beta-blockers (propranolol), thiazide diuretics, spironolactone, calcium channel blockers, alpha-blockers (doxazosin, terazosin, tamsulosin, alfuzosin), the antihistamine cimetidine (TAgamet), and chemotherapy drugs.

General health: men with general good health have better semen quality than less healthy men, and some medical conditions are know to decrease semen quality, including: diabetes, hypertention, liver or kidney failure, Crohn’s disease, and cancer.

Stress: stress has a known negative effect on reproduction in both men and women

Age: although not as critical as age in women, male fertility can decline with age. In general, a man over 35 is twice as likely to experience infertility as a man under 30.

Environmental and Occupational exposures: some chemicals are known to have a negative effect on male fertility, including lead, pesticides, and various solvents. Recent studies have shown that men in rural areas, including Columbia, MO, have significantly decreased sperm counts.