As the Trump administration moves to loosen federal restrictions on drugs — including a new step to ease regulations on state-licensed medical marijuana — questions are growing about cannabis use and its broader health effects.Among them is a lesser discussed concern: men’s fertility.During National Infertility Awareness Week, experts are drawing attention to the potential negative impact of both recreational and medical cannabis on male reproductive health.MALE FERTILITY RATES CRASH AS DOCTORS REVEAL HEALTH THREATSCannabis use has been associated with changes in reproductive health for both males and females, though human evidence remains mixed."This is especially disheartening when men and women are actively trying to conceive and start a family," Dr. Alta DeRoo, chief medical officer of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation in Minnesota, told Fox News Digital.A 2025 Harvard-linked study involving women undergoing fertility treatment revealed twice as many miscarriages among those using cannabis compared to non-users.It’s a common misconception, however, that fertility issues are always due to an issue with the woman. Male infertility is more common than many think, according to Stephanie Seminar, MD, chief of the Reproductive Endocrine Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, a founding member of Mass General Brigham in Boston, Massachusetts.SPERM DONOR WITH HIDDEN CANCER GENE FATHERS NEARLY 200 KIDS, FAMILIES BLINDSIDED"Many individuals think infertility is a woman’s problem, [but] male infertility is common and under-evaluated," Seminar told Fox News Digital.Out of the 10% to 15% of couples worldwide who experience infertility, male factors cause or contribute to approximately 45% of those cases, data shows.Having normal sexual drive and performance does not mean that a man has normal fertility, Seminar noted.An evaluation of male infertility goes beyond semen analysis, examining factors like sexual dysfunction, toxin exposure, tobacco/cannabis use, childhood illnesses and past testosterone use, according to medical experts.Cannabis use, particularly when heavy and chronic, can have negative effects on male fertility, Seminar cautioned. Those can include changes in reproductive hormones and semen parameters, including decreased sperm counts or mobility.USING MARIJUANA TO COPE WITH STRESS OR TRAUMA MAY BACKFIRE, STUDIES WARNCannabis can also impact sperm quality, the doctor said. "The sperm count or volume can be lower, and those sperm produced may be malformed and unable to swim effectively," the doctor said.Research supports this decline – a 2019 review published in The Journal of Urology found associations between cannabis use, especially the smoked form, and reduced semen quality.Another study of 1,215 healthy young Danish men, published… [TheTopNews] Read More.
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