The Association between Monthly, Yearly, and Lifetime Cannabis Use, and Semen Parameters in Asian-American Men

Purpose: Medicinal and recreational cannabis use has grown exponentially, however, its effect on testicular function and spermatogenesis remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between cannabis use and semen parameters in a cohort of Asian-American men with unknown fertility.

Materials and methods: Asian men were recruited to complete an online survey and submit a semen sample. Semen analysis, demographic data, lifestyle factors, and cannabis use habits were collected. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to determine.

Results: Among the 112 men included in this study, 51 used cannabis at least once in their lifetime, 30 men used cannabis at least once in the last 12 months, and 26 men used cannabis at least once in the last 30 days. Adjusted linear regression analyses identified an association between cannabis use in the previous 30 days and worse sperm morphology (β: -0.45, p=0.025) and sperm motility (β: -1.64, p=0.016). However, when stratifying by subfertile semen quality (i.e., WHO criteria), no association was identified between semen quality and cannabis use. Lower sperm morphology and motility are partially associated with recent cannabis use, while all other semen parameters are not.

Conclusions: We did not observe any consistent associations between cannabis use on any semen parameters in Asian-American men. Further studies within the field are needed to explore racial and ethnic differences in semen quality and lifestyle factors.