Does Masturbation Cause Low Sperm Count?

Masturbation in general does not affect your fertility and will not cause low sperm count. However, some research shows that the best semen quality occurs if you go two to three days without ejaculation. However, some other information indicates that men who have average sperm quality maintain sperm motility even with everyday ejaculation.

By Dhruv SharmaPublished about a year ago • 5 min read

Does Masturbation Cause Low Sperm Count?

Masturbation in general does not affect your fertility and will not cause low sperm count.

However, some research shows that the best semen quality occurs if you go two to three days without ejaculation. However, some other information indicates that men who have average sperm quality maintain sperm motility even with everyday ejaculation.

Does masturbation cause low sperm count? This seems like it would have a yes or no answer. The more frequently you ejaculate, the less sperm you will contain. But the fact is that masturbation does not directly affect sperm count at least not permanently.

Can regular ejaculation affect male fertility?

After speaking to a fertility specialist, about the effects of masturbation on sperm count and fertility, here are some findings-

Masturbation itself does not lead to male infertility or any long-term consequences on sperm quality. However, in the case that frequent masturbation leads to ejaculation, then it may affect sperm quality, volume and motility because sperm is being discharged through ejaculation.

For example, if an individual indulges in masturbation right before supplying a sample for a semen analysis, the total sperm count may be lower than usual.

Additionally, in a study issued by the National Library of Medicine, the impact of abstinence on semen quality was considered in both standard and pathological examples. Some of the strange semen samples were from men who have oligozoospermia, a circumstance in which a man’s sperm concentration is less than the lowest limit of 15 million sperm/mL, and men with teratozoospermia, a condition in which an individual has a large amount of strangely shaped sperm.

The study’s results showed that prolonged abstinence from ejaculation is associated with higher sperm concentration in general, except in men who have oligozoospermia. They also discovered that more extended temperance decreased advanced motility in regular and teratozoospermia samples.

Low sperm count, also called oligospermia, is a primary reason for male infertility. Sperm count is thought to be low if it goes below 15 million sperm per millilitre (mL) of semen, although the standard amount is around 75 million sperm per mL.

Other causes of low sperm count

Risk factors include being obese, trauma or surgery around the testicles, and handling certain medicines.

Beyond that, there are different causes of low sperm quality -

1] Medical

A record of testicular symptoms, or surgeries, as well as hereditary conditions, may cause you to have a low sperm count.

Cancer cures, including chemotherapy, or surgery, may also influence hormone and sperm release. Radiation of the testicles instantly destroys the cells that release sperm, while surgery of the brain can also cause low sperm count.

Other likely causes include:

Swelling in the veins that depletes the testicles, is called varicocele

Previous diseases or sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which can cause stoppages, scarring, or other injury to the reproductive system

Problems with erections or ejaculation (For example, diabetes and spinal injuries can lead to erectile dysfunction)

Health conditions like cystic fibrosis may stop sperm from entering the semen.

Previous surgery to the male reproductive system.

2] Environmental

You may be confused to learn that perfect sperm conditions are barely less than body temperature, which is why the testicles are placed outside of the abdominal cavity.

Overheating your testicles can reduce sperm production. Anything from frequently staying in hot tubs to holding your computer on your lap may reduce your counts.

Other possible causes include exposure to industrial chemicals or heavy metals or radiation from X-rays.

3] Lifestyle

Bad lifestyle habits like extreme drug and alcohol use, as well as smoking or vaping, may also lower sperm count. Anabolic steroids, which are generally taken to improve muscle mass, will almost consistently shrink testicles and reduce sperm production.

Marijuana and opioids also decrease sperm count.

Other likely causes include:

Testosterone boosters and pre-workout supplements used by gym freaks all may include slight doses of anabolic steroids.

Jobs that need long hours of sitting

Emotional problems, like stress and depression

Obesity can also affect hormones.

What about masturbation?

You may have heard that masturbation can lower sperm count. However, if you ejaculate every day on a frequent basis, this will lead to a reduced sperm count, volume and motility.

Low sperm count and infertility

The good news is that maintaining a low sperm count doesn’t mean it’s impossible to reach pregnancy — it may just take more time than regular. Analysis shares that unless your sperm count is zero, you and your partner will still be able to get pregnant with time.

Statistics are hard to rely upon as the duration depends on several factors that are unique to you and your partner, including how less your sperm count is and how healthy your sperm are.

How to produce healthy sperm and increase sperm count?

Simple ways to improve the chances of releasing healthy sperm include:

Watch your weight - Some study indicates that growing body mass index (BMI) is correlated with decreasing sperm count.

Choose healthy food - Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, which are rich in antioxidants and drink lots of water.

Prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) - Sexually transmitted infections can cause infertility in men.

Manage stress- Stress can reduce sexual performance and meddle with the hormones required to produce sperm.

Physical activity - Physical fitness can boost levels of strong antioxidant enzymes, which can protect sperm.

Quit porn - Quitting porn can help you control your masturbation habits. You can use an effective porn blocker such as BlockP which acts as your accountability buddy and has the ability to block all the adult content you could find on the internet with its powerful features such as real-time detection, blocking custom keywords and websites, blocking images and videos, focus mode, password protection and many more.

Conclusion

Many things can help improve fertility, but what works for you depends on the reason for your issues.

Masturbation does not directly cause infertility in an individual.

Your sperm count may be a little lower if you masturbate and ejaculate excessively on a regular basis. So if you are getting a semen analysis or trying to conceive, you should refrain from masturbating for a few days. Otherwise, masturbation will not cause you harm and can have many health benefits, as long as it is done moderately.