Does Prostatitis Affect Pregnancy Preparation?

Prostatitis is one of the most common diseases in men. Statistics from the Center for International Health show that the prevalence of prostatitis is about 25%, and nearly half of all men will be affected by it at some point in their lives. Since prostatitis is most common in the 20s and 40s, the childbearing years, many patients are concerned about whether prostatitis will affect their fertility.

Prostatitis in men can have an impact on pregnancy preparation.

First, men with prostatitis have an impact on their fertility:

1. Prostatitis reduces sperm quality

It has been found that when having prostatitis, a man's production of prostate fluid decreases, which reduces the volume of semen and leads to a lower sperm count. At the same time, prostatitis will also decrease the enzyme activity in the prostate fluid, which will increase the viscosity of the semen and make the vitality of the sperm decrease.

In addition, prostatitis can also decrease the pH of semen and cause the body to produce anti-sperm antibodies, thus leading to the death of sperm. Moreover, the prostate is a necessary route for sperm. Due to the many toxins in prostate fluid, sperms are easily affected by harmful microorganisms, resulting in weak sperms, oligospermia, or sperm deformities, thus affecting fertility.

2. Other diseases caused by prostatitis

The prostate is the most significant accessory sex gland in men. It is close to the epididymis, seminal vesicles, spermatic cord, and other vital organs and tissues of the male reproductive system. As a result, chronic prostatitis often occurs in conjunction with epididymitis, seminal vesiculitis, and varicocele. All of these diseases may cause decreased fertility through various factors. Therefore, infertility in patients with prostatitis may also be caused by other illnesses that it complicates.

3. Prostatitis causes increased psychological stress in men

Many men have prostatitis and do not heal for a long time. Repeated attacks cause a lot of psychological stress. Over time, they may become depressed and worried during sex, affecting the smooth progress of their sex life. It also makes the patient feel that his sexual function is problematic, fear of sex and reluctance to have sex again. In the long run, this condition will cause decreased patient libido and sexual dysfunction, thus affecting fertility.

Secondly, prostatitis in men can affect the process of preparing for pregnancy.

For patients with prostatitis, if it is found after examination to be chronic nonbacterial prostatitis, it means the cause of the disease is not related to infection and does not affect semen quality. Patients with chronic nonbacterial prostatitis can prepare for pregnancy normally. However, if the cause of prostatitis is found to be bacterial infection, semen quality may be affected, which will have a certain impact on pregnancy preparation.

Although it is possible to have sex during prostatitis treatment, it is essential to use a condom during intercourse to avoid problematic semen entering the inside of the woman's vagina, which can cause vaginitis in women. It is generally recommended to consider pregnancy planning one to two months after the complete prostatitis cure. It is also necessary to have a semen quality check before preparing for pregnancy to see if the semen quality is normal before considering whether you can have a baby.

If men and women are sure they are ready to conceive, they should develop good habits, such as going to bed early and getting up early. In the morning or evening, they can go outside for a walk to keep their bodies and minds happy. They need to adjust their diet and avoid eating sour, spicy, stimulating food. Men should not smoke or drink alcohol, and women should try to eat more nutritious things. 

In addition to eating more vegetables and fruits to supplement folic acid, they should also properly supplement protein and collagen and eat more vitamin E-rich foods.

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