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Smoking Effects on Male Fertility

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Male Infertility

Abstract

Numerous studies have attempted to assess the effects of smoking on male reproductive physiology, including sperm parameters, male reproductive anatomy, as well as the male hormonal axes. Yet the results have been equivocal and contradictory. Our objective was to compile the current literature regarding how cigarette smoke exposure can contribute to male infertility. Environmental factors make it difficult to unravel the effects of smoking versus other lifestyle elements. However, with the increased efforts to limit smoke exposure, it is important to parse out potential reversible effects of smoking on the human body. It is well established that toxins in cigarette smoke produce radical oxygen species that cause oxidative damage to nearly every organ system. This increased stress has cascading effects stemming from an impaired hormonal axis, down to causing immotile spermatocytes. Disrupting the normal hormonal axis responsible for reproductive signaling; impairing correct, healthy spermatogenesis; and causing direct damage to mature sperm products are but a few of the etiologies of how smoking can contribute to male infertility.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    Jenna Meyer & Avi Harlev

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    Avi Harlev

Authors
  1. Jenna Meyer
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  2. Avi Harlev
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Correspondence to Jenna Meyer .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. PUR Clinic, University of Central Florida (UCF), Clermont, FL, USA

    Sijo J. Parekattil

  2. ANDROFERT and State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil

    Sandro C. Esteves

  3. Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Ashok Agarwal

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Meyer, J., Harlev, A. (2020). Smoking Effects on Male Fertility. In: Parekattil, S., Esteves, S., Agarwal, A. (eds) Male Infertility. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32300-4_40

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32300-4_40

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-32299-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-32300-4

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