Today at the 64th annual conference of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in San Francisco researchers discussed how antidepressant drugs may be linked to male infertility. Such drugs increase DNA fragmentation in the sperm. The study is still in it’s preliminary stages, however researchers found the five-fold increase in abnormal sperm DNA with men who take antidepressant drugs very alarming.
Paroxetine is the chemical in antidepressants that is found to harm the sperm. The researchers said,
“Paroxetine was also associated with significant sexual dysfunction, with one third of men reporting problems with erectile function and nearly half reporting ejaculatory difficulties.”
DNA health is vital for couples trying to conceive, the sperm must be mobile and functioning well to impregnate the woman’s egg. Similarly, unhealthy sperm can impede the progress and chances of successful In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatments. Based on such findings the research team is hoping to further their study on male infertility and Paroxetine.
