Marijuana use and its influence on sperm morphology and motility: identified risk for fertility among Jamaican men

Abstract

BackgroundThe growing international movement legislating medical marijuana has brought renewed interest to the role of marijuana smoking on fertility potential. Although studies have identified that sperm quality can be compromised by marijuana use, little focus has been placed specifically on those trying to conceive. In this study, we aimed to clarify the impact of marijuana use in semen quality in men being investigated for assisted reproduction.Materials and methodsWe conducted a cross‐sectional study at a university‐based facility in Jamaica. Routine semen analyses were performed on 229 men ages 23–72 years who were new clients. Logistic regression analyses were performed in order to independently predict quantifiable measures of the impact of marijuana use. The main outcome measures were sperm motility, total motile spermatozoa and morphology.ResultsOverall, 47% of the participants reported marijuana use with 21% of these men reporting recent use. Regression analyses showed that recent use and users of large quantities of marijuana were 2.6 times (aOR = 2.6; 95% CI, 1.0–6.8, p = 0.044) and 4.3 times (aOR = 4.3; 95% CI, 1.1–15.9, p = 0.030) at greater risk of being diagnosed with abnormal motility (asthenozoospermia). Additionally, moderate quantity users were 3.4 times (aOR = 3.4; 95% CI, 1.5–7.9, p = 0.004) more likely to be diagnosed with abnormal morphology (teratozoospermia).Discussion and conclusionRecent use of marijuana as well as moderate to large quantities had an impact on sperm motility and morphology in men being investigated for infertility. We recommend therefore that men undergoing fertility investigations be routinely asked about their recreational use of marijuana and in particular recent and heavy users counselled to stop.

The physiology of male reproduction: Impact of drugs and their abuse on male fertility

“…This deleterious effect was observed to persist even 4 weeks after withdrawal (Hembree, Nahas, & Zeidenberg, 1978). This agrees with the study of Carroll, Pottinger, Wynter, and DaCosta (2019) that observed that men who abuse cannabis have a higher risk of abnormal sperm motility and morphology. In contrary, some studies reported a positive correlation between cannabis use and sperm parameters (Close, Roberts, & Berger, 1990; Nassan et al., 2019).…”

The association between cannabis use and testicular function in men: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…The patient description, main findings, and study characteristics of each article are summarized in Table 1. Of the nine studies included, five were conducted in the United States, 9,14‐17 three in Europe (Denmark, UK, and Italy), 10‐12 and one in Jamaica 13 . Four studies investigated only hormone levels in a cannabis user group versus a non‐user group 9,10,14,19 .…”

“…Four studies investigated only hormone levels in a cannabis user group versus a non‐user group 9,10,14,19 . Five studies recruited men evaluated at an infertility clinic 11,13,17,18,20 . One study examined semen parameters and hormone profile in cannabis users who participated in the Danish military draft, 12 while two studies analyzed data from male participants of the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 15,19 .…”

“…They detected that cannabis use was associated with lower sperm concentration and total sperm count 12 . Similarly, Carrol and colleagues reported that cannabis users examined in a fertility clinic were at greater risk of being diagnosed with asthenozoospermia and teratozoospermia 13 . In contrast, Nassan et al showed that cannabis users among men from infertile couples had significantly higher sperm concentrations 17 …”

“…The active component of cannabis is D9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which binds cannabinoid receptors present in the brain, the nervous system, and, among other locations, the reproductive organs 7 . There has been conflicting literature regarding the effect of cannabis on the reproductive system; however, recent reviews and studies using both animal and human systems have suggested that cannabis impairs male fertility, semen quality, and hormones levels 8‐13 . In contrast, others have reported no changes in semen parameters and testosterone levels among cannabis users 14‐17 .…”