Can His Depression Affect Your Fertility?

Can His Depression Affect Your Fertility?

Is your man feeling down? A new study links male depression to lower rates of fertility.

Depression in females did not impact the rate of live births, according to a study in Fertility and Sterility.

The study did find that non-selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (non-SSRIs), a specific class of antidepressants, were associated with a higher rate of early pregnancy loss. On the other hand, SSRIs were not linked to pregnancy loss.

According to the study authors who cited previous research, 41 percent seeking fertility treatment experience depression symptoms. And of men seeking IVF treatment, 50 percent expeienced depression. They looked at data from two other studies: one study compared the efficacy of two ovulation-inducing drugs for establishment of pregnancy and live birth in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS); the other study compared the effectiveness of three ovulation-inducing drugs at achieving pregnancy and live birth in couples with unexplained infertility. That gave them data on 1,650 women and 1,608 men; 5.96 percent of women had active major depression and 2.28 percent of the men experienced the same, according to self-reported questionnaires.

Women using non-SSRIs were roughly 3.5 times as likely to have a pregnancy loss during their first trimester, compared to those not using antidepressants.

An in couples with males that had depression, they were 60 percent less likely to conceive and have a live birth than those in which the male partner did not have major depression.

Word to the wise: Check on your mental health, and your man’s. Not only can mental health affect all aspects of life, but it may impair your chances of conceiving.

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