Does prostatitis affect male fertility? The answer is yes. The prostate is an important reproductive organ in men and has a significant impact on male sexual function, which can easily lead to erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation, indirectly affecting fertility factors. According to the latest authoritative survey by the World Health Organization, the incidence of male urological diseases in China is as high as 53%; among males aged 20-40, 22% suffer from prostatitis, and 17% suffer from urogenital infections; more than 60% of males over 40 suffer from benign prostatic hyperplasia and sexual dysfunction; 31% of males have phimosis or redundant prepuce; and 12% of couples suffer from infertility.
Impact of prostatitis on sexual function:
Firstly, prostatitis may cause sexual dysfunction. The prostate itself is a male sexual organ and reproductive organ. Its main function is to secrete prostatic fluid. If there is chronic inflammation in the prostate, the secretion of prostatic fluid will decrease. Prostatic fluid is a component of male semen. About 30% of semen is prostatic fluid, 60% is seminal vesicle fluid, and the rest are sperm and fluids secreted by the testicles. If there is inflammation in the prostate, it will inevitably reduce the secretion of prostatic fluid. Many patients with prostatitis find that their semen volume is reduced, which can also affect sperm quality.
Secondly, prostatitis may be related to some medications. Patients with prostatitis often seek medical advice everywhere and take antibiotics. In traditional Chinese medicine, most treatments involve heat-clearing and detoxifying drugs, which may have some effect on sexual function. If the medication is too cooling and taken for a long time, it may affect sexual function. During treatment, warm drugs should be used alongside cooling drugs to prevent sexual function from being affected. We don't want to cure one disease only to develop another.
Thirdly, prostatitis may likely be related to endocrine issues. Many endocrine factors, such as testosterone, can influence sexual function.
Fourthly, prostatitis itself causes pain, especially in cases of specific infections like mycoplasma or chlamydia infections that lead to chronic prostatitis. There is often severe lower abdominal pain, or pain in the testicles or anus. Pain itself can affect sexual function and create discomfort.
Psychological issues in patients with prostatitis: The primary concern for patients with prostatitis is psychological issues, including mental health problems. After contracting prostatitis, not only does physical suffering occur, but the mental burden is also heavy, especially in bacterial prostatitis where both partners can be infected with the same pathogen. For example, if the female partner has a fungal infection, the male partner can also be infected. Similarly, if the male has a mycoplasma infection, the female partner will definitely have a mycoplasma infection as well. Because the male has prostatitis, many worry about infecting their female partner and thus become overly concerned. The more worried they are, the worse their function becomes.
Prostatitis is a killer of male health: Chronic prostatitis is a stubborn condition that is difficult to cure if treated improperly. Many cases of chronic prostatitis are related to daily life habits, such as prolonged sitting and high levels of stress, which can all lead to chronic prostatitis. Experts in urology at Beijing Military General Hospital explain five reasons why prostatitis leads to male infertility:
Reason one: When the prostate becomes inflamed, its secretion decreases significantly, leading to a marked reduction in semen volume. This is not conducive to the survival and activity of sperm. Additionally, due to the decreased activity of certain enzymes in prostatic fluid, the factor that promotes semen coagulation becomes relatively more active, causing the ejaculated semen to appear gel-like. If semen does not liquefy for a long time, it can hinder the normal activity of sperm in the female reproductive tract, thereby causing infertility.
Reason two: Due to the presence of large amounts of inflammatory secretions, the pH value of semen changes, making it more acidic. Normally, semen is weakly alkaline, which is beneficial for sperm activity. However, during inflammation, sperm are more likely to "die prematurely," resulting in insufficient numbers of sperm reaching the female fallopian tubes, leading to infertility.
Reason three: When men suffer from chronic prostatitis, there are often large amounts of microorganisms, toxins produced by them, and inflammatory secretions in the prostatic fluid. These substances consume nutrients and oxygen in the semen, affecting sperm survival. Especially in cases of non-specific microbial infections like chlamydia and mycoplasma-induced prostatitis, this harm becomes even more prominent.
Reason four: Patients with prostatitis often experience severe psychological issues due to tension and anxiety, especially when their wives cannot conceive for a long period. These accumulated psychological pressures can lead to nervous system and endocrine function disorders, causing symptoms such as yin deficiency and yang exuberance, qi-yin deficiency, imbalance of yin and yang, and liver-kidney insufficiency. All of these greatly affect the spermatogenic function and sexual function of men, making infertility more persistent and difficult to treat.
Reason five: If prostatitis persists without cure, it can spread to the seminal vesicles, epididymis, and even the testicles, fundamentally affecting sperm production and quality. If the "seed" generation encounters problems, how can healthy babies be conceived?
Therefore, when facing infertility issues, a comprehensive examination of the reproductive system should be conducted, including palpation of external genitalia, digital rectal examination of the prostate, detection of sperm count and motility, and culture of prostatic fluid. This way, deeper underlying causes of infertility can be discovered, allowing for targeted treatment and better outcomes.
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