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Antidepressants may affect male fertility

Updated: 2009-06-25 21:21:57 CST Category: Infertility Testing-Male

by Laurent Castellucci

The antidepressant paroxetine, found in Seroxat and Paxil, can damage men's sperm and impair fertility, according to research published in the journal Fertility & Sterility.

"It's fairly well known that SSRI antidepressants negatively impact erectile function and ejaculation," said Dr Peter Schlegel, the study's senior author and professor of reproductive medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York told the Chicago Tribune. "This study goes one step further, demonstrating that they can cause a major increase in genetic damage to sperm."

The study looked at healthy men who took paroxetine for five weeks. Tests were used to check for DNA fragmentation, which occurs when pieces of the genetic code go missing from sperm DNA.

The researchers found that 50 percent of the subjects had signs of abnormal DNA fragmentation while taking the drug, compared with less than 10 percent at the start of the trial. The amount, concentration and motility of sperm were not significantly changed by the medication and the men's returned to normal after discontinuing the drug.

Men with difficulty conceiving are encouraged to get a fertility test, as many factors can damage sperm.

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