Can chronic prostatitis affect sperm quality?

Can chronic prostatitis affect sperm quality?

A patient: Dr.Lee, Could you tell me if chronic prostatitis can affect sperm quality？I have long suffered chronic prostatitis, and there's no sign of improvement. Recently, I planned to have a child, but failed. So I wonder if it is chronic prostatitis that influenced my fertility. It would be very appreciate if you explain it in detail and give me some advice.

Dr.Lee: In fact, the question you concern is not uncommon. Whether chronic prostatitis has something to do with sperm is a question that a lot of chronic prostatitis patients have asked me indeed.

Fist of all, chronic prostatitis has influence on semen quality. As a matter of fact, chronic epididymitis and vesiculitis are common complications of chronic prostatitis. Both them can change environment in spermaduct and cause obstruction. When prostate is inflamed, gland fibrosis and tubular obstruction decrease prostate secretions. Obviously, the amount of semen decreases, which is not propitious for sperm motility.

Can chronic prostatitis affect male fertility?

Whether chronic prostatitis can cause male infertility or not is a problem with no clear understanding now. Some chronic prostatitis patients who suffer from severe symptoms are still able to have children. Theoretically, as we referred above, inflammation can absolutely affect amount and ingredient of semen and then bring about infertility. Therefore, this question should be considered dialectically.

In summary, prostate secretions decrease when inflammation occurs, which reduces semen amount. As a result, both sperm motility and quality are disturbed. Also, enzyme activity has a tendency of reduction in prostate fluid, which causes denser semen and longer liquefying time. Besides, inflammation is a killer for sperm, that is because pH value will reduce and the body produces anti-sperm antibodies. In addition, a large number of bacteria and bacterial toxins can consume the nutritional composition of seminal plasma, thereby affect survival probability.