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Home › Articles › Considering Pregnancy › Fertility Truths and Myths

Fertility Truths and Myths

Dispelling Fertility Myths and Half Truths

By Teri Brown

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One of the reasons that the testicles hang outside the body cavity is that they function better for sperm production if they remain below core body temperature. This might lead one to believe that boxers would be better than briefs. "Overall, there is no direct scientific evidence that boxers are any different than briefs in changing sperm counts or promoting fertility," Dr. Forstein says. "That is to say, men should wear whatever type of underwear they feel is most comfortable."

6. Smoking contributes to infertility. (Fact)
This one commanded a resounding, unequivocal yes, from all doctors polled. Smoking can be detrimental to fertility on many levels. Dr. Sharon Jaffe, a board certified reproductive endocrinologist at the Center for Reproductive Medicine in Orlando, Fla., gives the following facts on smoking and fertility.

  • The nicotine adversely affects the quality of the cervical mucous and can potentially impair sperm transport.
  • Smokers go through menopause an average of two years earlier. The metabolites of the nicotine adversely affect egg quality and gradually decrease egg quantity, causing a decrease in ovarian reserve.
  • The metabolites of nicotine, such as continine, can be found in the follicular fluid (fluid surrounding and "bathing" the egg as it matures or develops) decreasing the quality of the egg and embryo.
  • Smoking by the male partner can adversely affect the DNA sperm chromatin, causing decrease in fertilization potential, decrease in embryo quality and increase in miscarriages.
  • Smoking is associated with recurrent pregnancy loss – possibly due to decreased embryo quality or microvascular problem in the uterus.
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Fertility Truths and Myths by Anonymous on 02/09/2010 03:04PM

It's interesting that those who smoke are the ones who deny any problems. The wife of my husband's brother smokes. She smoked through her four or five (I'm nto sure how many children she has) pregnancies. I heard from my MIL that one of her children had to go back to the hospital in his first month of life due to respiratory problems. None of her children are exactly the brightest bulbs in the chandilier. As it is one of her daughters is currently a teen mother. Not only that, but she is in jail now. She was living with somebody (I don't think it was the baby's father) and phoned the police with theft report. It was found out that SHE was the one who stole the items. She is now in jail for both stealing and making a false report. However, in terms of intelligence, I wouldn't call the mother too bright. So, it may not be smoking per say, but perhaps that if the parent(s) aren't too bright, they may not raise up bright children. My husband and I actually half seriously talked about fostering the baby while the mother is in jail and discussed the whole "nature/nurture" debate. (Our two year old is qute brilliant. She speaks long sentences, comprehends things just by listening to others' conversations, talks about what is going on as though she is narrating the situation [it's a good thing, except in church], is very articulate, can count, is learning her letters, knows many shapes, colors, etc. We don't smoke. We eat whole, real foods. I'm vegan, but she and my husband occasionally eat animals and animal products and when they do, it's from local, organic farms.) This is just one exaple of people I know who smoke deny any problems (including my husband's sister who also smoked during her pregnancies and smokes around her kids. Even my husband has said that she is also not too bright. Yet, with my husband and his sister, their other sister and one of their brothers, it would be an interesting case of nature/nurture observation.)

Fertility Truths and Myths by Anonymous on 08/18/2009 03:44PM

look i know thats totall crap everyone in my family smokes and none of us seem to have a problem getting or staying pregnant. my sister had 5 kids in 5 years all beautiful healthy boys and she smokes to packs a day. We see anti smoking propganda everywhere but the fact is everyones body works differently so u cant say smoking with "definently" ffect fertlity

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