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Revista Matronas

Revista Matronas

ABRIL 2023 N° 1 Volumen 11

Effects of the use of marijuana on male fertility: a literature review, 2011-2021

Section: Revisions

Authors

1 Ignacia Arredondo Gajardo, 1 Dayana Barría Valenzuela, 1 Francisca Cerda Araneda, 1 Rodrigo Flores Canales, 1 Valeria Rojas Baeza, 2 Maricela Pino Álvarez

Position

1 Matronas. Escuela de Obstetricia sede Santiago Universidad San Sebastián. Facultad de Ciencias para el Cuidado de la Salud. Chile.2 Matrona. Escuela de Obstetricia y Puericultura. Universidad de las Américas, Campus Providencia. Facultad de Salud y Ciencias Sociales. Chile.

Contact email: mpino@udla.cl

Abstract

Introduction: infertility is a global health problem which affects millions of people: 48 million couples and 186 million persons. Male infertility is a subject of study due to its recent increase, to the point of equating female infertility, and according to experts, it will soon exceed the female rate. As well as physical factors, the endocrine disruption which is the basis of male infertility, it is well known that using substances such as marijuana may have an impact on it, causing the alteration of spermatic patterns and parameters such as its morphology, and the normal motility and viability of spermatozoids.
Objective: to analyse the scientific literature published between 2011 and 2021 regarding the impact of marijuana on male fertility, specifically on spermatic morphology and motility, and on testosterone levels.
Methodology: a narrative-type bibliographic review, where a search of articles was conducted in the following databases: ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Lilacs, with the following MeSH descriptors in English: marijuana use; infertility, male; semen quality; testosterone.
Results: according to international literature regarding spermatic morphology and motility, the conclusion in most of the articles selected was that there were deleterious effects; an increase in the count of abnormal spermatic forms was observed, and even teratozoospermia was detected, as well as a reduction in motility with severe cases of asthenozoospermia. Regarding testosterone levels, results were not conclusive, because some articles were found with an increase or a reduction in testosterone levels, and in another article no alterations were detected in male users of marijuana.
Conclusion: the effects of marijuana use have been widely studied in different systems; however, in the human reproduction area there has been limited in-depth research about its effects on gametes and its potential consequences on fertility. The goal of this research was to give a preliminary answer, based on international literature, to the impact of using said substance on male fertility; the findings stated that its use had an impact on motility and morphology parameters and on plasma levels of testosterone in male usual consumers of THC.

Keywords:

marijuana; THC cannabis; male infertility; sterility; semen quality; motility; morphology; spermatozoids; preconception counselling; health education; midwife

Versión en Español

Título:

Efectos del consumo de marihuana en la fertilidad masculina: una revisión de la literatura, 2011-2021

Artículo completo no disponible en este idioma / Full article is not available in this language

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