Marijuana induces male infertility
What is marijuana?
Marijuana is a psychoactive drug that is obtained from the plant named Cannabis sativa. It is a mixture of dried green and brown leaves, seeds, stem and flowers of this plant. The name ‘Marijuana’ refers to grass, weed or pot used as a mood enhancer and is listed as a drug with abuse potential. The active ingredient in Marijuana is the chemical substance tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Many human tissues have cannabinoid receptors where the chemical substances attach and cause their effects. Marijuana intoxication causes distorted perception, impaired co-ordination, difficulty in problem solving and memory loss. Apart from its effects on the central nervous system Marijuana also has biological side effects. It is also known that tetrahydrocannabinol gets stored in the fats of the body and gets released slowly. This property of TCH is responsible for its long term biological side effects like infertility.
How does marijuana affect male fertility?
Marijuana is known to affect female fertility and it also easily crosses the placenta. It causes prematurity and abnormalities in the fetus of mothers who consume Marijuana during pregnancy. Similarly recent studies have shown that Marijuana affects male fertility as well.
A study conducted by the University of Buffalo in 2003 to determine the effects of Marijuana on male fertility. The study included 22 men who smoked marijuana regularly atleast for 5 years and 59 men who were fertile and had produced children. All men were asked to submit semen samples to the laboratory after three days of abstinence. All samples were examined for volume, total sperm counts, morphology of the sperms and motility. An important function of the sperm called hyperactivation was also studied. This function is important when the sperm approaches the egg.
The results of the study showed that there was a reduction in the total sperm count and also the semen volume in men indulging in marijuana. It also showed that the sperms in marijuana addicts burnt out faster than in normal subjects and hence may be unable to fertilize the egg at the right time. Marijuana is also known to affect the hyperactivation function of the sperms thereby causing failure in fertilization of the egg. Marijuana also causes damage to the DNA of the sperm hence such sperms and their products are also likely to be defective.
The DNA damage is directly proportional to the number of times the individual smokes. All the above effects are mainly due to the presence of cannabinoid receptors in the male reproductive system especially on the sperms. Another way in which Marijuana affects male fertility is by increasing the estrogen levels. Since tetrahydrocannabinol is metabolized in the liver, it is likely to cause liver damage with long term abuse and thereby obstruct the metabolism of estrogens, causing an increase in estrogens and a reduction in male fertility due to unopposed estrogen effect. Marijuana also affects the antioxidant property of semen and contributes to reducing male fertility.
The reduction in male fertility is temporary and may take about one to six months to return back to normal.
References:
http://www.buffalo.edu/ubreporter/archives/vol35/vol35n9/articles/Fertility.html
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/marijuana-effect-fertility.html
http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/marijuana.html
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