Does Masturbation Cause Infertility in Male - Facts and Myths
As the problem of infertility in both men and women is increasing day by day, more and more research in this area is being conducted. Various assisted reproductive technologies like IUI (intrauterine insemination), IVF (in-vitro fertilization), ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), etc., have now become commonly known to most people. This advancement in the field of medical science has done wonders in blessing multiple couples with a baby. Also, where earlier women were stigmatized for chiefly being responsible for infertility issues, now awareness has been created in the area of male infertility too. This has led people to stop and ask if the infertility problem they’re facing is due to female or male factors. To put things in perspective, research shows that male factor infertility is the cause behind almost half of the total infertility cases. At Gurgaon Fertility Center, we conduct thorough checkups on both partners to confirm the infertility factors.
The question one might naturally ask here is, what is male infertility and what causes it? While some easy answers to the latter part of the question are a lower sperm count and motility, there’s another more controversial answer- masturbation.
Male Infertility and its Causes
Male infertility is when a man is unable to make his fertile female partner pregnant even after about a year (or more) of unprotected sex. It can have various causes like low sperm production which leads to a lower sperm count, low sperm motility, abnormal sperm function, genital blockages that restrict the sperm from entering into the female body, chronic diseases, lifestyle issues, etc. You can take a semen analysis test in Gurgaon for knowing if you’re suffering from any of these issues.
But then there are people who claim that masturbation (or porn watching) can also lead to male infertility. Masturbation is when a man stimulates his own genitals to reach orgasm. So, can masturbation make you infertile or is it a myth? The answer is that it is highly unlikely, however, there is a caveat- the frequency of masturbation might affect your sexual health.
Is Masturbation Harmful to Male Fertility?
Masturbation, if done less frequently, has actually been known to improve a man’s sperm quality and his sex life. Additionally, it is even known to reduce stress and protect men from prostate cancer. But it’s the habit of excessive masturbation that you have to be careful about. This is primarily because each time you masturbate, you ejaculate a certain amount of semen which means that the quantity of semen (and hence sperm) decreases with each masturbation. If done too frequently, you can be left with very little semen when you’re having sex with your partner and this will be insufficient to get her pregnant.
Another problem that might arise is that the man who masturbates too often may feel too exhausted to indulge in sex with his partner. Or he might lose interest in sex as he knows he can gratify himself whenever he wishes to. This set of issues has some people believe that porn/ masturbation can cause erectile dysfunction which can lead to infertility. Though we do not have conclusive evidence to support the claim, it is always better to err on the safer side.
Now, talking about sperm quality, some researchers have argued that it takes about 2-3 days for the semen quality to be restored after having ejaculated once. Others have contradicted this saying that sperm quality and concentration remain unaffected even after frequent masturbation.
Conclusion
After looking at what masturbation does and how it might affect a man, we won’t ask you to altogether refrain from masturbating. But it is advisable that you do not engage in it too frequently because as the saying goes, nothing is good when done in excess. However, if you have already limited yourself in this regard and also tried some other remedies but still are unable to have a child, we recommend you search for the best IVF center in Gurgaon. The Delhi-Gurgaon region has a higher success rate than the national average when it comes to infertility treatments like IVF. You should book a consultation session with a good fertility doctor to know what might be the root cause(s) of the issue and how to solve it. Remember, it’s often some other underlying cause and not masturbation that is causing infertility but whatever it is, the doctors are available to help you with it.
