Factor beyond hormone: What impacts male sexual health and why it is related to mental wellbeing

Sexual problems in men can occur on and off and at any age and most of them can be easily dealt with

Dr Lalitha Palle June 19, 2023 16:57:15 IST

This article is a repost which originally appeared on Firstpost.

Edited for content. The opinions expressed in this article may not reflect the opinions of this site’s editors, staff or members.

Key Points

‧ Testosterone and sperm level decline, hormonal imbalances, and male pattern baldness are becoming a more common occurrence in younger men.

‧ It’s believed various contributing factors are the cause.

‧ Negative relationship dynamics and emotional concerns can contribute to worsening sexual health.

The topic of male sexual health has gained importance recently as an alarming number of reports reveal reduced male hormones i.e Testosterone levels, in younger men, reduced sperm counts, and increasing incidence of erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, male Infertility or impotence and early onset of male pattern baldness among younger men, becomes a common occurrence.

There are also reports that state that with the alarming rate of male hormone imbalance, India is set to become the Impotency capital of the world! It is thus high time that we take note of this silent yet fast-spreading condition and start by understanding its causes and impact and how we can at least start by destigmatizing conversations around male sexual health.

Male sexual health is influenced by a variety of factors, including physical, psychological, and emotional well-being. While physical factors such as hormonal balance, cardiovascular health, and neurological function play important roles, mental well-being can significantly impact male sexual health for several reasons:

Psychological Factors: Sexual desire, arousal, and performance can be influenced by psychological factors such as stress, anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. Negative emotions and mental health conditions can affect libido, sexual confidence, and overall sexual satisfaction.

Relationship Dynamics: The quality of relationships and emotional connection with a partner can have a significant impact on male sexual health. Relationship issues, unresolved conflicts, or lack of intimacy can contribute to sexual difficulties and dissatisfaction.

Performance Anxiety: Many men experience performance anxiety, which is the fear of not being able to perform sexually to their or their partner’s satisfaction. This anxiety can stem from various sources, such as societal expectations, personal insecurities, or previous negative sexual experiences. Performance anxiety which is very common, especially in younger men, can interfere with sexual arousal, leading to erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation.

Body Image and Self-esteem: Body image concerns and self-esteem can affect sexual health. Men who have negative perceptions of their bodies may feel self-conscious and anxious during sexual encounters, impacting their ability to fully engage in the experience.

Stress and Lifestyle Factors: High levels of stress, unhealthy lifestyle habits, and poor self-care can contribute to sexual health problems. Stress can disrupt hormone production, reduce libido, and impair sexual performance. Lifestyle factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and lack of exercise can also negatively impact sexual function.

It is essential to address both the physical and mental aspects of male sexual health. Seeking support from healthcare professionals, therapists, or counsellors can help individuals navigate and address the underlying psychological factors that may be affecting their sexual well-being. Open communication with partners, healthy lifestyles, and stress management can also contribute to overall sexual health and satisfaction. Sexual problems in men can occur on and off and at any age and most of them can be easily dealt with. Not speaking or discussing them will only lead to a vicious cycle of negative mental health and poor performance. Men should break free from the so-called ‘taboos’ and ‘stigmas’ to improve their lives’ quality.

Breakthrough into the cause of male infertility

Scientists at Newcastle University have identified a new genetic mechanism that can cause severe forms of male infertility.

Our Takeaway:

  • Scientists collected and studied DNA from 185 infertile men and their parents. They identified 145 rare protein-altering mutations that are likely to negatively impact male fertility.
  • As many as 29 of the mutations affect genes directly involved in processes related to spermatogenesis — the process of sperm cell development.
  • Experts have found that mutations occurring during the reproduction process, when the DNA of both parents is replicated, can result in infertility in men later in life.
This article is a repost which originally appeared on ScienceDaily
Newcastle University - JANUARY 10, 2022
Edited for content and readability - Images sourced from Pexels
Source: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/press/articles/latest/2022/01/maleinfertilitystudy/

This breakthrough in understanding the underlying cause of male infertility offers hope of better treatment options for patients in the future.

The study, published today in Nature Communications, shows that new mutations, not inherited from father or mother, play a major role in this medical condition.

Improving understanding

It is hoped that this new knowledge will help to provide more answers in the future about the cause and best treatment options available to infertile couples.

Professor Joris Veltman, Dean of Newcastle University’s Biosciences Institute, UK, led the research which involved patients from Newcastle Fertility Centre and Radboud University Medical Centre in the Netherlands.

He said: “This is a real paradigm shift in our understanding of the causes of male infertility. Most genetic studies look at recessively inherited causes of infertility, whereby both parents are a carrier of a mutation in a gene, and the infertility occurs when the son receives both mutated copies, resulting in problems with their fertility.

“However, our research has found that mutations which occur when the DNA is replicated during reproduction in parents plays a significant role in the infertility in their sons.

“At present, we don’t understand the underlying cause in the majority of infertile men, and this research will hopefully increase the percentage of men for whom we can provide answers.”

Scientists collected and studied DNA from a global cohort of 185 infertile men and their parents. They identified 145 rare protein-altering mutations that are likely to negatively impact male fertility.

As many as 29 of the mutations affect genes directly involved in processes related to spermatogenesis — the process of sperm cell development — or other cellular processes related to reproduction.

Experts identified mutations in the gene RBM5 in multiple infertile men. Previous research carried out in mice has shown that this gene plays a role in male infertility.

Importantly, these mutations mostly cause a dominant form of infertility, where only one mutated gene is required. As a consequence, there is a 50% chance that infertility caused by these mutations will be passed on to the man’s child (if assisted reproductive technologies are used) and this may result in infertility, particularly in sons.

Millions of children have already been born through assisted reproductive approaches as a result of infertility. This research indicates a significant proportion of these children may inherit infertility from their father.

Professor Veltman said: “If we are able to obtain a genetic diagnosis, then we can start understanding better male infertility problems and why some infertile men still produce sperm that can be used successfully for assisted reproduction.

“With our information, and the research others are doing, we hope clinicians can improve counselling for couples and recommend what is the best course of action in order to conceive, either by proposing an appropriate medically-assisted procedure or in cases where none is suitable, provide appropriate alternatives.”

Infertility problems

It is estimated that up to 7% of men are affected by infertility and 50% of fertility problems within a heterosexual couple are due to the man. In around half of male infertility cases, the cause is unexplained.

Moving forwards, the scientists want to expand their work by studying thousands of patients and their parents in a large international consortium.

They will follow-up their research by conducting further studies into the role these newly identified mutated genes have on the impact of spermatogenesis and on the overall fertility in humans.

Understanding male sexual health: More men now reporting low sex drive, Peyronie’s disease, finds study

Understanding male sexual health: More men now reporting low sex drive, Peyronie’s disease, finds study

Scientists found that earlier, more men were diagnosed with erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation.

Myupchar July 20, 2020 22:17:59 IST

This article is a repost which originally appeared on Firstpost.

Edited for content

Male infertility is a topic that is rarely discussed. However, doctors have seen an increase in the number of male patients coming to sexual health clinics to seek help in recent years. Doctors have seen that different sexual health problems are being reported by men which were not prevalent before, also indicating more awareness and openness regarding male sexual health.

Different male sexual health problems

A study published in the journal International Journal of Impotence Research on 1 July 2020 stated that there has been a switch in the sexual problems which males complain about now.

The scientists accumulated complete data of 2,013 patients who were continuously evaluated by a sexual medicine expert between the years 2006 to 2019. The scientists found that 824 patients were assessed for erectile dysfunction, 369 patients were diagnosed with curvature of the penis (Peyronie’s disease), 322 patients had premature ejaculation, 204 suffered from low sex drive and the remaining 294 had other sexual dysfunctions.

In this study, the scientists found that earlier, more men were diagnosed with erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. However, more recently, men have been diagnosed with low sexual desire and Peyronie’s disease.

With the successful treatment options for erectile dysfunction such as Viagra and Cialis and awareness, men have been reporting more about other sexual dysfunctions as well.

Cap-Score: A test to find out sperm quality

Male infertility is one of the major reasons behind the increasing numbers of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) cases throughout the world. Earlier tests like semen analysis, also called seminogram, were done to find out the quality and ability of sperm to fertilize. However, due to the lack of an appropriate diagnostic test for evaluating the fertilizing ability of men, most of the infertility cases get classified as idiopathic or unexplained.

In a recent research article in the journal Reproductive BioMedicine Online, scientists from various universities in the US used Cap-Score to test the sperm capacitation of males.

Sperm capacitation is a natural process where the spermatozoa (motile male sex cell) changes its shape to be able to penetrate and fertilize the female egg. The Cap-Score is a test which determines the percentage of sperm that undergoes capacitation in a certain amount of time. Usually, 35 percent of sperms of a man with normal fertility would undergo capacitation.

In this study, the scientists took the sperm samples from 292 patients and tested their ability to reproduce with the help of traditional sperm analysis test and Cap-Score. Out of these patients, 128 couples became pregnant after three cycles of Intrauterine Insemination (placing sperm inside a woman’s uterus to facilitate fertilisation).

The scientists found that those with high Cap-Score were able to fertilize more efficiently and resulted in a higher number of pregnancies. The scientists also found that men who constantly questioned their fertility showed impaired or reduced capacitation ability.

Benefits of Cap-Score over traditional sperm analysis

Scientists found that traditional semen analysis is unable to identify impairments in fertilising ability, which typically leads to a diagnosis of idiopathic infertility. The scientists found that unlike the traditional semen analysis, capacitation is a better test which helps in determining whether or not there would be a successful generation of pregnancy.

Both these studies indicate that with better awareness of male sexual health issues, men choosing to report as well as get treatment for these diseases, and with the widespread adoption of better sperm analysis tests like the Cap-Score by the medical community, male sexual dysfunction and infertility can be better addressed globally.

For more information, read our article on Low Sperm Count.

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