Fertility & Family Planning

How Bacteria in the Prostate Can Impact Fertility

Prostatitis (bacterial infection/inflammation of the prostate) can silently contribute to male infertility by severely damaging sperm shape, motility, and DNA integrity, necessitating a targeted antibiotic regimen based on semen evaluation.
By - Russel H Williams, MD

Male infertility is a common problem that many men face in their lives. It can be a frustrating journey, but here at The Y Factor we’re here to help ease some of that frustration with tried and true methods to help men improve their fertility. One of those methods is checking for bacteria in the prostate. This is important because bacteria can play a part in decreasing your fertility status. Even if you are not having any symptoms of prostatitis, bacteria may be affecting your sperm quality regardless. Studies have shown that bacteria in the prostate, also known as prostatitis, can contribute to the deterioration of sperm (Moretti, 2009). Specifically, bacteria are known to “attack” sperm, causing changes to their shape and motility. Why this is important is because if sperm shape and motility are altered, they are not able to fertilize the egg as effectively, causing fertility issues.

Prostatitis is not sexually transmitted, but can cause symptoms similar to a urinary tract infection and diagnosis is accurately made through semen evaluation. Prostatitis can also contribute to sperm DNA damage, which can result in infertility.

At The Y factor, we treat prostatitis very effectively by giving antibiotics that the bacteria are sensitive to, rather than guessing what antibiotic to use. We understand the importance of fertility and bacteria affecting it, so we take it with great caution. We will take all the necessary steps to ensure your fertility status is up to par.

Resources

Moretti, E., Capitani, S., Figura, N., Pammolli, A., Federico, M. G., Giannerini, V., & Collodel, G. (2009). The presence of bacteria species in semen and sperm quality. Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics, 26(1), 47–56. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-008-9283-5

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