MEN suffered a double whammy in health news this week.
Scientists have found microplastics in the penis for the first time, while a stealthy STI could be linked to male infertility.
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Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic, often so small that they cannot be detected by the naked eye.
As a result of plastic in industrial waste and consumer goods breaking down into increasingly smaller pieces, these particles find their way into food, water supplies and even the air.
Species of plastic debris were discovered in the penile tissue of five men undergoing erectile dysfunction surgery.
Seven different types of microplastics were identified in 80% of the samples, with some fragments measuring two micrometers – two thousandths of a millimeter.
Scientists called their discovery “concerning” and said it raised questions about the potential role of microplastics in erectile dysfunction.
“The detection of microplastics in penile tissue raises questions about the ramifications of environmental pollutants on sexual health,” they said.
Previous research has identified microplastics in the lungs and blood, as well as in the testicles and semen of men.
Researchers behind the latest study – published in the journal IJIR: Your Sexual Medicine Diary – said that the penis can be particularly vulnerable to contamination with microplastics due to the high blood flow during erections.
Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy, study co-author and former director of reproductive urology at the University of Miami, said: “The penis is a vascular and spongy organ, so it is definitely vulnerable.
“We know that erectile dysfunction is multifactorial. You need good hormones, nerves, blood supply and good smooth muscle tissue for an erection to happen.
“We discovered that microplastics were present in the smooth muscles of the penis.
“All we know is that they shouldn’t be there and we suspect that this could lead to smooth muscle dysfunction.”
Scientists detected microplastics in four of five men who underwent surgery for an inflatable penile prosthesis, a treatment option for men with severe erectile dysfunction.
The microplastics detected ranged between 0.5 mm and 0.002 mm in size.
Almost half of these were polyethylene terephthalate, commonly used in the manufacture of clothing and food and beverage packaging.
Polypropylene – a harder microplastic also used in packaging – represents 34.7% of plastic debris found in penile tissue.
The scientists said: “Our study presents a groundbreaking investigation into the presence of microplastics in penile tissue.
“The detection of microplastics in penile tissue raises questions about the ramifications of environmental pollutants on sexual health.”
Ramasamy said more research is needed to determine whether microplastics play a role in erectile dysfunction and male infertility.
“As a society, we need to be aware that drinking water from plastic bottles, taking takeout food in plastic containers, and even worse, microwaving food in plastic containers, are contributing to having things in our bodies that shouldn’t be there. “, he said.
“And the penis is the only organ that everyone will pay attention to.”
Erectile dysfunction – when you can’t get or keep an erection – is extremely common, especially in men over 40.
The NHS estimates that half of all men aged between 40 and 70 will have the condition to some degree.
It’s advisable that you see a GP about this if it keeps happening, as it could be a sign of an underlying health problem.
Stealth STD Possibly Linked to Male Infertility
In other men’s sexual health news, scientists have suggested that hepatitis E may be a sexually transmitted infection and linked to male infertility.
Hepatitis E is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV), which can infect humans and animals.
Most people do not experience symptoms of HEV infection, but it can also cause liver failure and, in rare cases, can be fatal for pregnant women.
The disease is particularly common in parts of the world where sanitation is poor.
It tends to spread through drinking water contaminated by faeces from people infected with the virus, but in the UK hepatitis E is usually contracted by eating undercooked meat.
Ohio State University researchers examined how HEV affects pigs, as their reproductive anatomy closely resembles that of humans.
They infected pigs with the virus, finding that the animals showed no symptoms despite the virus appearing in their blood and feces.
The results of the study – published in the journal PLOS pathogens – showed that HEV was present in pig sperm.
Lead author Kush Yadav said: “We cannot say that they are on the outside or inside the sperm.
“We don’t know if the hepatitis E virus can actually complete a replication cycle in the sperm head, so we think the sperm is more of a carrier than a susceptible cell.”
The researchers used fluorescence microscopy to examine pig semen 84 days after the animals were infected with HEV.
Signs and symptoms of hepatitis E
MOST people will have no symptoms of hepatitis E and will get better without ever knowing they had it.
For people who experience symptoms, the most common are:
- Jaundice (a yellow color in the eyes and skin)
- Feeling very tired
- Stomach ache
- Not feeling hungry
- Feeling sick
- Fever
- Joint pain and suffering
There are many conditions that can cause these types of symptoms, so you will need to get tested to find out if they are caused by hepatitis E.
If symptoms do occur, they usually appear between two to six weeks after exposure to HEV.
Source: British Liver Trust
They detected viral particles in 19% of sperm collected from infected pigs.
Scientists said HEV appeared to be damaging the pigs’ sperm, potentially altering their structure and decreasing their ability to move through seminal fluid.
They were unable to demonstrate whether changes in the animals’ sperm translated into fertility problems, but claimed that the link between HEV infection and human infertility suggests this could be the case.
Study co-author Scott Kennedy said: “Between 20 and 50 percent of documented cases of male infertility, they don’t really know what’s causing it.
“Therefore, we are pushing for more testing for the hepatitis E virus as a potential cause of these cases.”
Dr. Yadav added: “Our study is the first to demonstrate this association of hepatitis E virus with sperm.
“Our future studies will be aimed at understanding more mechanistically the association between the hepatitis E virus and the sperm head and using animal models to verify whether sexual transmission of the virus is occurring – because in the human environment it is not yet we know. ”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
