Marijuana and sperm

How does pot affect sperm?   Better question is how doesn't it affect sperm. 

Pot:
Decreases LH and FSH release
Lowers T
Attaches to sperm head and tails
Decreases sperm production
Promotes loss of spermatogonia

Beware.

Using SMART Goals in Male Infertility

Smoking-bad for sperm
Abdominal obesity-bad for sperm
Sedentary lifestyle-bad for sperm

Tell a patient, "lose weight", "eat better", "exercise" -worthless for sperm

Better approach- SMART

1: Walk track once this week and call me to tell me
2: Eat one vegetarian meal next week. 
3: Go one day without smoking.

Small, manageable, achievable, relavent, and testable goals.  Now that is SMART.

Sperm may play major role in HIV transmission, research suggests.

Re-printed from the AUA Daily Scope.


"HealthDay (10/26, Dotinga) reported that a paper appearing in the Journal of Experimental Medicine indicates that "sperm, not just semen, can transmit the virus that causes AIDS to immune cells in the body." Researchers at the University of Buenos Aires explained that the "virus attaches to the surface of sperm and can be transmitted to immune cells" by "passing through tiny abrasions in the vagina or anus or perhaps through another method." What's more, the "slightly acid environment, which they likened to that in the vagina after sexual intercourse, boosts the likelihood of infection of these cells." "

HIV is still a major problem and transmission is not fully understood.  Avoiding high risk sexual behaviors can go a long away to prevent spread of the disease.
 
Dr Schoor

The Testis Biopsy

The testicular biopsy is done during the evaluation of infertilility in men that do not have sperm in the ejaculate--azoospermia. The testis biopsy is essentially done to differentiate between the 2 causes of azoospermia--obstruction vs testis failure. Testis biopsies will typically reveal 1 of several possible pathology types:

• Normal


• Hypospermatogenesis


• Germ Cell Aplasia


• Inflammation

Testis biopsies are not performed, in general, in the evaluation of a testicular mass or tumor, such as testicular cancer.

The testis biopsy is a diagnostic procedure only and does not, in and of itself, help couples become pregnant. Occasionally, a testis biopsy is done in conjunction with a testicular sperm aspiration.

The above testis biopsy result was from a patient with azoospermia and shows hypospermatogenesis.

Thanks.

The IU.