WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) – The results of a small study suggest that a man's job may influence his fertility, but researchers say that more investigation is needed before definitive conclusions can be made.
The research team found that men employed as engineering technicians, finance analysts, corporate and computing managers, and teachers were more likely to be infertile than men in other professions.
A clear cause of infertility is found in only one in five infertile men, Drs. Sin-Eng Chia and Sun-Kuie Tay of the National University of Singapore note in the November issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
To investigate whether a man's place of employment might play a role in his fertility, Chia and Tay evaluated 640 men whose spouses were unable to conceive and were attending an infertility clinic. Among these men, the researchers identified 218 who had no known cause for their infertility. These men were compared with 227 men whose wives were pregnant at the time of the investigation.
All of the men filled out questionnaires that assessed lifestyle habits such as smoking, occupation, and exposures to chemicals known to affect sperm counts. They also underwent semen analysis.
Teachers were nearly eight times more likely to be infertile, while finance analysts were almost five times more likely to be infertile than other men. Engineering technicians and corporate and computing managers had nearly triple the risk of infertility. Men who worked in service and clerical jobs were the least likely to be infertile.
The investigation also revealed that men who smoked were nearly three times more likely to be infertile.
While Drs. Chia and Tay have no explanation for their findings, they note that psychological stress, higher work demands and possible electromagnetic field exposure could be contributory factors for infertility.
Due to the small number of men in their study, the authors conclude that "more studies are needed to validate our findings."
J Occup Environ Med 2001;43:946-951.
e-Med Tools
קצר קולע וממוקד
e-Med סמינרים
אי-מד תחקירים
Medscape Tools
Journal Club
מרכזי מידע ושירות
Facebook
מידע למפרסם
מאגר תרופות
מאגר אנשי המקצוע
אינדקס שימושי
חדשות משה"ב
eMed HealthClub
מחקרים קליניים
השאירו תגובה
רוצה להצטרף לדיון?תרגישו חופשי לתרום!