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Male Infertility as a Marker of Future Health

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Emerging Topics in Reproduction

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Abstract

There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that patients with male factor infertility may have overall poorer health status than their fertile counterparts and that infertility may be a marker of future health risks. Men who are diagnosed with infertility appear to have a higher risk of developing depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. Risks of specific malignancies such as testicular germ cell tumors, prostate cancer, melanoma, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma also appear to be elevated in infertile men. The relationship between male infertility and overall health is complex, and it is likely that multiple factors play a role in the development of subsequent health issues in infertile men. Underlying genetic or epigenetic abnormalities, hormonal imbalances, and environmental factors have been proposed as possible explanations for recognized associations between infertility and specific disease processes. If clear associations between male factor infertility and comorbidities can be identified, appropriate counseling and treatment can be provided to at-risk men.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Brent M. Hanson MD

  2. Department of Surgery—Urology, Center for Reconstructive Urology and Men’s Health, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    James M. Hotaling MD, MS, FECSM

Authors
  1. Brent M. Hanson MD
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  2. James M. Hotaling MD, MS, FECSM
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to James M. Hotaling MD, MS, FECSM .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Andrology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

    Douglas T. Carrell

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Catherine Racowsky

  3. Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA

    Peter N. Schlegel

  4. NICHD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    Alan H. DeCherney

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Hanson, B.M., Hotaling, J.M. (2018). Male Infertility as a Marker of Future Health. In: Carrell, D., Racowsky, C., Schlegel, P., DeCherney, A. (eds) Emerging Topics in Reproduction. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90823-6_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90823-6_4

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