Stress Degrades Sperm and Fertility, Study Finds

Psychological stress may degrade sperm quality and sperm fertility, according to a study published today in the journal Fertility and Sterility.

“Men who feel stressed are more likely to have lower concentrations of sperm in their ejaculate, and the sperm they have are more likely to be misshapen or have impaired motility,” said researcher Pam Factor-Litvak, an epidemiologist at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health, in a statement. “These deficits could be associated with fertility problems.”

Researchers studied 193 men ages 38 to 49, who rated how stressed they felt and shared the life events that led to said stress. Life stress degraded the quality of semen even when the scientists accounted for other factors, such as health concerns or previous issues with fertility.

Even though life stress affected the caliber of the sperm, workplace stress did not. However, job strain did lower testosterone levels and therefore could still hurt reproductive health. Unemployed men also had lower sperm quality than employed men, regardless of other stressors.

Scientists don’t know how exactly emotional strain affects semen, but this adds to a body of research examining the many ways emotional stress can take a toll on the body.