After marriage, many couples eager to start a family rush into trying for a baby, sometimes engaging in intercourse day and night.But have you ever considered that excessive sexual activity might actually lead to male infertility?
Why Excessive Sexual Activity Can Cause Infertility
Many men, especially newlyweds, often engage in overly frequent sexual activity without realizing its detrimental effects on male health. Worse still, it may contribute to male infertility. Therefore, men should practice moderation in their sexual routines and avoid excessive frequency.
Among men with infertility, 70% have a history of excessive sexual activity, with newlyweds being the most prominent group. Experts emphasize that excessive sexual activity poses significant risks to men. Therefore, men should exercise restraint in the frequency of sexual activity, prioritizing the principles of eugenics and healthy childbearing.
It is widely known that during intercourse, a healthy male typically ejaculates 1 to 6 milliliters of semen. This semen must contain at least 50 million sperm, with 70% exhibiting normal motility. Only when these conditions are met can sperm reach the female uterine cavity to fertilize the egg, forming a zygote that implants and develops into an embryo.
Excessively frequent intercourse between partners can lead to insufficient sperm production in men, along with poorer sperm quality, directly impairing fertilization. Furthermore, as sperm act as antigenic substances, frequent exposure to them can cause women to continuously produce anti-sperm antibodies. This can result in sperm agglutination or loss of motility, ultimately leading to male infertility.
Healthy Sexual Habits Support Fertility
Not only can excessive sexual activity contribute to male infertility, but improper sexual practices may also diminish quality of life and even cause infertility. Conversely, strategically scheduling sexual activity can enhance the chances of conception for couples facing infertility.
I. Sexual Practices
In some rural areas with limited sexual education, many infertile women engage in intercourse during menstruation, mistakenly believing it increases conception rates.
In reality, menstrual intercourse stimulates the body to produce anti-sperm antibodies, potentially causing immune-mediated infertility.It may also invite bacterial ascending infections, causing inflammation of the fallopian tubes or leading to tubal blockage and infertility.
Some couples develop the habit of immediately getting up to urinate after intercourse to prevent urinary tract infections. From a hygiene perspective, this is understandable. However, for infertile couples, maintaining this habit long-term may not be advisable, as it can lead to significant semen leakage. This habit should not be rigidly followed, especially during intercourse around ovulation.
II. Sexual Climax
Experiencing sexual climax does indeed increase the chances of conception. There are three reasons for this:
1. During climax, positive pressure develops within the uterus, which rapidly drops to negative pressure afterward, facilitating sperm migration into the uterine cavity.
2. Sexual arousal elevates the uterine position, bringing the cervical opening closer to the pool of semen and aiding sperm entry.
3. The vagina normally maintains an acidic environment with a pH of 4–5, which is unfavorable for sperm survival and motility. During sexual arousal, vaginal fluid increases and pH rises, creating a more conducive environment for sperm activity.
3. The vagina normally maintains an acidic environment with a pH of 4–5, which is unfavorable for sperm survival and motility. During sexual arousal, increased vaginal fluid production raises the pH level, creating a more conducive environment for sperm activity. Therefore, couples learning about sexual psychology and physiology to facilitate the wife's orgasm can enhance sexual satisfaction while potentially improving fertility prospects.
Experts suggest twice-weekly intercourse as optimal, though this isn't a rigid rule—individuals should adjust based on their circumstances. For healthy conception, men should pay close attention to their sexual habits.