Gossiping co-workers, demanding boss, stubborn kids or just dealing with everyday demanding situations can be daunting. It can be exhausting and extremely worrying, it’s true.  And If these issues are not handled probably ultimately it will lead you make you closer to worst enemy in life – stress. The worst part is that stress can put you at several health risks. Besides, cardiac arrest and mental problem, stress also affects a man’s ability to produce sperm – according to a new study conducted by Italy

Man’s ability to produce sperm may depend on how he deals with stress in his life. In the same study, researchers noticed that men who were dealing with high levels of short and long term stress, tension or anxiety ejaculated less semen and have low sperm count. But, men with very high stress level they are more likely to have deformed sperm. 

As the research was conducted on those men who were already seeking treatment at a fertility clinic, the results may not be applicable to the general population – says a researcher.

Tina Jensen, Sperm Quality Researcher at Righospitalet, Copenhagen, asks, "Do you become stressed from becoming infertile or is stress causing infertility?"

According to a previous study conducted by Elisa Vellani, an Italian researcher,’ Men who are already undergoing a fertility treatment tend to have more stress level than average people.’ 

A new study was conducted by recruiting 94 men who were visiting the hospital’s fertility section for the first time and 85 other men who were not receiving any type of fertility treatment. This study was conducted for comparison purpose.

Tin this research, each ma provided their semen sample for analysis and answered two surveys, which would help to measure their current and long-term stress level. The stress level scale was ranging between 20 to 80 points. Men with higher scores indicate high level of stress or tension. 

On an average men form both groups recorded a score between 37 and 40. But, when Vellani compared the reports of 28 men with low stress level to the 40 men who had high stress level, she found out that, stressed men were more likely to have lower sperm concentration and counts. Besides, men with high level stress also had immobile sperm and their sperm were more prone to DNA breaks. 

The researcher concluded by saying, "Taken together, our observations strongly suggest that (stress and anxiety) may represent a significant factor involved in male fertility." They also noted that men who were not seeking any type of fertility treatment have better sperm quality.

Generally, an average man produces approximately 52 million sperm per milliliter of semen compared to the men seeking fertility treatment just produce approximately 29 million sperm per milliliter of semen.

According to World Health Organization standards, if the semen consists anything above 15 million sperm per milliliter is completely normal and healthy.

Lastly, Vellani says,’ social and psychological factors should be considered while assessing possible causes of infertility and should be addressed as a part of the infertility treatment.’

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