Poorer semen quality & smaller testicles for men with earlier or later onset of puberty

Puberty is a landmark period in a boy’s sexual development and his ability to sire, so that medical experts advice males diagnosed with cancer after this period to bank their sperm because of high rate of infertility. A new study finds that there is a link between puberty and semen quality.

The research by Rigshospitalet and EDMaRC, the first of its kind to investigate the influence of pubertal timing on male reproductive health, had 1,068 healthy young Danish men as respondents. The study was conducted as they participated in a compulsory medical examination as part of their application for military service.

The questionnaire given them asked for detailed information on occurrence of pubertal changes. They also provided semen sample and underwent blood test and physical examination.

The scientists found that the men who experienced earlier or later onset of puberty in comparison to their peers had poorer semen quality and smaller testicles at 19 years old. But those who had early puberty were shorter, had higher BMI and often smokers or exposed to prenatal smoke. They also had higher incidents of sexually transmitted diseases.

Explaining their finding, Professor Anders Juul, senior author, says, “Understanding the implications of the timing of puberty for your future reproductive health is important, as we speculate that puberty timing influences general health and risks of disease later in life.”

In another study done by the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Public Health, researchers studied the link among last five days of alcohol intake, semen quality and reproductive hormones. The findings indicate an association between recent alcohol intake and hormonal shift toward higher estradiol/testosterone ratio. They scientists add the hormonal changes observed over time could have an adverse effect on semen quality.

VIDEO: What is Puberty?