Stress and it's impact on sperm

Stress and Fertility - What role does a male partner play?

When we consider fertility, we often put women at centre stage, forgetting that there are two equal parties involved. While we know a lot in terms of what contributes to women’s fertility (and there is a lot we can do!), there’s often less awareness around how much men contribute, especially when it comes to lifestyle factors.

One of the lifestyle factors that can play a major role? Stress!

Stress may actually impact male fertility more than female. How? We have a pathway in our brains that connects our hypothalamus, to our pituitary (a gland in our brain that controls many of our hormones) to the reproductive system. We call this the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis or, HPG axis. We also have a pathway that connects the brain to our adrenal glands - the HPA axis - that controls our stress hormones.

When stress is elevated in men, it causes biochemical changes to these pathways. These hormones can block one another and impair how they function. Elevated cortisol in a man’s body has been found to inhibit his HPG axis, which in turn reduces testosterone levels and impacts spermatogenesis (the creation of new sperm). It can literally cause cell death within the testicles.

With the creation of new sperm impacted, we may have less sperm or poorer quality sperm -which can each be a cause of fertility issues.

Research has shown that all sorts of stress, including job stress, social stress, stressful life events and perceived stress, can all impact fertility. Who doesn’t experience some form of stress - at least at some of the time?

What can we do about it? First of all, helping the men in our lives understand the role that stress can play is important. Developing an understanding that their health and lifestyle factors DO, in fact, also contribute to fertility (maybe even more than women sometimes!) can be really helpful. Supporting partners in obtaining appropriate work ups with health care providers is another piece of the puzzle. Leaving some information - a pamphlet or handout - around the house, that emphasizes the importance of of the male contribution to fertility is actually a research-backed way to improve attendance at appointments. Understanding their role in your shared fertility journey can increase their focus on their own health.

Interested in more information? Click here to book an appointment with one of our naturopathic doctors to discuss more fertility.