After all, the decision to become pregnant is a huge life-changing undertaking—one that will cause stress and anxiety for just about anyone.Unfortunately, however, the use of antidepressants may also make it more difficult to conceive a child. The use of antidepressants can have a significantly positive effect … Researchers suggest that men taking SSRIs suffer a drop in sperm counts. Int J Urol. Emma Baines investigates. Wiley Antidepressants and Infertility: The Connection. For the rest, it takes time, sometimes between six months and a year—and sometimes much longer.Infertility is common—very common. The drugs you take affect your fertility in a couple of ways. Great question, but unfortunately we don’t really have any studies which have specifically examined the effect of antidepressants on fertility. Although antidepressants are known to be associated with sexual side-effects, their effects on semen parameters and other markers of male fertility have been less thoroughly described. Mental health concerns can make it difficult to impossible to conceive a child. 2017;1034:63-101. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-69535-8_8.Harv Rev Psychiatry. The use of antidepressants can have a significantly positive effect on your everyday life. Antidepressant medications are commonly used in males of reproductive age for long-term treatment of depression, as well as other disorders. Even if the timing is right, and you are in generally good physical health, there are things that can get in the way.Mental health is one of those factors. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000031.pub4.Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. There is not much data available on how anti-depressants affect female fertility. Only 30 percent of couples will conceive a child on their first try. Antidepressant medications are commonly used in males of reproductive age for long-term treatment of depression, as well as other disorders. SSRIs are helpful in alleviating the effects of depression but have side effects.The potential sexual side effects of SSRIs have an immediate impact on one’s ability to conceive, as orgasm is fundamental to the conception process.It is not impossible to conceive while taking antidepressants, whether they are being taken by either the male or female partner. In men, some prescription medication can alter sperm parameters; they can decrease sperm count, sperm motility and even alter sperm morphology. Wiley 2020 Jan;27(1):46. doi: 10.1111/iju.14126. The use of SSRIs seems to reduce male fertility by affecting semen parameters, although most studies have a degree of confounding by indication caused by the underlying depression. Well-meaning teachers who are simply trying to keep young kids out of trouble tend to exaggerate how easy it is to make a baby. Antidepressants make it possible to improve quality of sleep, become more focused at work, engage more meaningfully in social interactions and the list goes on and on. In women, drugs can delay ovulation and also affect how the uterus or endometrium becomes receptive to the … Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features! 2019;250:325-355. doi: 10.1007/164_2018_167.Adv Exp Med Biol. Given the widespread and often long-term use of antidepressant medications, there is a clear need for further data regarding their impact on semen quality and male fertility. Name must be less than 100 characters However, once adulthood sets in and you make the decision to have a child according to your carefully designed plans, the reality tends to hit pretty harshly. COVID-19 is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation. Fluoxetine, in particular, has been the subject of multiple studies and has been associated with gonadotoxic effects, including decreased sperm concentration and motility, increased deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation, and decreased reproductive organ weights. The research was conducted … Furthermore, the use of antidepressants can cause further complications in regards to fertility issues. In contrast, depression in the female partner did not affect the likelihood of becoming pregnant. 2004;6(Suppl 1):7-11. Couples undergoing infertility treatments were 60% less likely to conceive and produce a live birth when the male partner had major depression than when he did not, research funded by the US National Institutes of Health shows. When you first learn about how the body works in your middle school health class, the process doesn’t sound very difficult at all. The majority of available studies have focused on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which have been shown to negatively impact semen quality in in vitro, animal and human studies. Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. How Do Drugs Affect Your Fertility? Introduction. A recent study has even confirmed that the use of antidepressants in the male partner can significantly increase a couples’ risk of experiencing infertility.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 10 percent of Americans use antidepressants. In many cases, medication is necessary to managing mental health concerns, but medications such as SSRIs, for example, are not always necessary for everyone. Effects of Antidepressants on Female Fertility. Fertility is a highly complicated issue, but unfortunately, the vast majority of people are blissfully unaware of how much difficulty actually goes into getting pregnant.