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Young cannabis smokers risk producing abnormal sperm

Taking cannabis doubles the risk of men under 30 producing abnormal sperm, which could significantly lower their fertility and prevent them from having children. [s]The Independent[/s] reports that this is according to researchers taking part in the world’s largest study into lifestyle and sperm quality. Researchers found that drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes do not appear to have any effect on the size and shape of sperm that men produce, although cannabis had a marked impact on sperm morphology in younger men. ‘If you are a man trying for a baby then the sensible thing to do is to stop smoking joints but the effect won’t be seen overnight,’ said Allan Pacey, a spec ialist in male fertility at [b]Sheffield University[/b]. The study failed to find any link between sperm quality and other factors such as obesity, tight underwear, smoking, drinking or a history of having mumps. Only cannabis, frequent ejaculation and summer-time ejaculation were linked with poor sperm morphology.

[link url=http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/cannabis-doubles-younger-mens-risk-of-infertility-study-finds-9487046.html]Full report in The Independent[/link]
[link url=http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/06/03/humrep.deu116.abstract?sid=a1351097-337d-4a96-b604-39194c62d188]Human Reproduction abstract[/link]

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