How does smoking marijuana affect your changes of having a baby?
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You probably know you are what you eat when it comes to adopting good nutrition to support your sexual health. But are you what you smoke as well?
The jury’s still out when it comes to an official answer on how smoking marijuana can affect fertility. But a number of studies show that it’s pretty likely pot can cause some negative changes in your body.
Testosterone meets Mary Jane
Some studies have shown that smoking pot can impact testosterone levels. While that data is from studies done on animals as opposed to people, experts believe the same is true for humans. Chronic smokers can expect to see more potentially negative side effects than casual smokers, but researchers note the deviation in testosterone isn’t so far away from normal levels.
Luckily, studies have also found that pot’s effect on testosterone is temporary. So all you have to do to return to regular levels of testosterone is to refrain from smoking while you and your partner are trying to conceive.
The sperm assembly line on pot
A recent study from the University of Copenhagen found that men who smoked marijuana more than once a week lowered their sperm count by about one third—more if they were taking other drugs like cocaine or ecstasy as well.
And it’s not just the production of those little swimmers that takes a hit—their ability to reach and fertilize an egg is harmed, too. Sperm, as you probably know, are extremely tiny, and they they have a long way to go up the vaginal canal before they meet the egg. Normally, they start out by riding the wave of semen for part of the way, which means they have less space to cover by swimming alone (a process called hyperactivation). But when THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, is introduced into the body, sperm skip the ride and start swimming immediately…which means they tire out quickly and never reach the egg. No sperm-egg meet-and-greet, no baby.
Mr. Happy at 420
Did you know your penis can get high? A 2011 study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found what might be a link between marijuana use and erectile dysfunction. When you ingest THC, it interacts with cannabinoid receptors, which are proteins in your brain. Basically THC slightly hinders your brain function. Those cannabinoid receptors have also been found in penile tissue, which potentially means THC can do the same thing to the penis, making it more difficult to get an erection.
More scientific research is definitely needed to confirm the results of the studies already completed. But from what researchers have gathered so far, it looks like smoking marijuana can be a pretty big roadblock for a couple trying to have children. So lay off the blunts if you’re trying for a baby!