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xxdr_zombiexx

Marijuana May Impair Male Fertility
Alcoholism.About.com | from University at Buffalo News Release

Smokers Have Lower Total Sperm Count
Men who smoke marijuana frequently have significantly less seminal fluid, a lower total sperm count and their sperm behave abnormally, all of which may affect fertility adversely, a new study in reproductive physiology at the University at Buffalo has shown.

This study is the first to assess marijuana's effects on specific swimming behavior of sperm from marijuana smokers and to compare the results with sperm from men with confirmed fertility. Marijuana contains the cannabinoid drug THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is its primary psychoactive chemical, as well as other cannabinoids.

Results of the study were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine in San Antonio.

"The bottom line is, the active ingredients in marijuana are doing something to sperm, and the numbers are in the direction toward infertility," said Lani J. Burkman, Ph.D., lead author on the study. Burkman is assistant professor of gynecology/obstetrics and urology and head of the Section on Andrology in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. UB's andrology laboratory also carries out sophisticated diagnosis for infertile couples.

"We don't know exactly what is happening to change sperm functioning," said Burkman, "but we think it is one of two things: THC may be causing improper timing of sperm function by direct stimulation, or it may be bypassing natural inhibition mechanisms. Whatever the cause, the sperm are swimming too fast too early." This aberrant pattern has been connected to infertility in other studies, she noted.

Further research in the andrology laboratory showed that human sperm exposed to high levels of THC displayed abnormal changes in the sperm enzyme cap, called the acrosome. When researchers tested synthetic anandamide equivalents on human sperm, the normal vigorous swimming patterns were changed and the sperm showed reduced ability to attach to the egg before fertilization. Only about 10 laboratories in the U.S. perform this array of sperm function tests.

In the current study, Burkman received seminal fluid from 22 confirmed marijuana smokers and subjected the samples to a variety of tests. The volunteers reported smoking marijuana approximately 14 times a week, and for an average of 5.1 years.

Control numbers were obtained from 59 fertile men who had produced a pregnancy. All men abstained from sexual activity for two days before the lab analysis.

The samples from both groups were tested for volume, sperm-count-per-unit of seminal fluid, total sperm count, percent of sperm that was moving, velocity and sperm shape.

Results showed that both the volume of seminal fluid and the total number of sperm from marijuana smokers were significantly less than for fertile control men. Significant differences also appeared when HA and velocity, both before and after washing, were assessed, the study found.

"The sperm from marijuana smokers were moving too fast too early," said Burkman. "The timing was all wrong. These sperm will experience burnout before they reach the egg and would not be capable of fertilization."

Burkman noted that many men who smoke marijuana have fathered children. "The men who are most affected likely have naturally occurring borderline fertility potential, and THC from marijuana may push them over the edge into infertility," she said.

As to the question of whether fertility potential returns when smokers stop using marijuana: Burkman said the issue hasn't been studied well enough to provide a definitive answer.

"THC remains stored in fat for a long period, so the process may be quite slow. We can't say that everything will go back to normal. Most men who have borderline fertility are unaware of that fact. It's difficult to know who is at risk. I definitely would advise anyone trying to conceive not to smoke marijuana, and that would include women as well as men."

[zombienote: blah bla blah blah marijuana blah blah blah blah bad blah blah blah terrorism bla bla blh sperm bla blah blah blah children...repeat infinitely...for federal funding, of course....]

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Alien Space Signal

There's no money for your issue so long as we're squandering $50 billion a year on the DrugWar. Ben Masel

Fear became the ultimate tool of this government - V.

 

Cassius

Cool, my girlfriend doesn't have to take the pill anymore, as long as I keep smoking the ganja!! /smirk

I wonder if Marinol is listed as a contraceptive?

Dennis

Great! Looks like I'm not going to have to get that vasectomy after all.

hauptmann

Why not just post this with your other article on the same exact subject zombie, it is the same information?? TURBO POSTING TROLL! These effects are slight and only temporary, thc is no where near being an effective contraceptive.

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Kannibal

Cool, my girlfriend doesn't have to take the pill anymore, as long as I keep smoking the ganja!! /smirk

Great! Looks like I'm not going to have to get that vasectomy after all...

heheh

My wife had 8 kids<I helped> so i'd tell your girlfriend to hold onto those pills for now and Dennis if you dont want any kids that vasectomy isn't a bad idea.

 

GonzoGarbonzo

Way to scare the teenagers away from marijuana- now they might not be able to get pregnant!

Cassius

Remember that commercial where the teenagers smoke up and have sex, and the gal gets pregnant? It was supposed to point out that marijuana can affect judgment, but it's quite funny when viewed alongside this =)

adville

yes thats a very good way to scare teens aways lol

hauptmann

xxdr_zombiexx

Public release date: 13-Oct-2003

You are right about the exactness.

This was in google News today as new and I went back and saw that it is from 2003.

What it is doing at an alcoholism site is interesting, but I did not notice the absence of the date.