diabetes and fertility

[schmidty25]

I am a 21 year old male and I have type 1 diabetes, I have heard that there may be potential issues with fertility as a diabetic but I have been taking my vitamins, and everything seems to be working just fine, my girlfriend has just taken out her IUD(Morena) and we are trying to conceive and my question is that, is there anyway to increase our chances of conception? We keep in good health have sex regularly and all that good stuff, would you recommend having a sperm count and check done because of my diabetes? I'm really concerned and just need some expert advice
Thank you!!


This discussion is related to PREGNANCY RISK FROM PENIS TIP ENTERING VAGINA.

[specialmom]

Hi there.  Well, generally this is a woman's heath forum and we take questions from women regarding their personal issues.  But I'll try to answer your question.  

Yes.  That is the short answer regarding if men suffer fertility issues due to diabetes.  They certainly can.  High glucose levels are the culprit.  The best thing to do is to get your diabetes under control and stabilize your glucose level.  Do you have type of one or two and what medication do you take?  

The best person to talk to regarding your own fertility issues is YOUR doctor.  I would think the doctor that helps manage your diabetes would be where you should start.  good luck

[Bambily]

Congratulations on trying to conceive! I was being treated with Metformin for my diabetes risk and irregular cycles. For women, Metformin can also make them super fertile (odd side effect) while regulating blood sugars. I'm not familiar with men and fertility issues, so I did a quick search and found this:

Male Infertility & Diabetes

DCS: What about diabetes and infertility as it is related to males? Does it cause fertility issues in men, too?

Dr. Falcone: Yes. Certain diabetes complications can cause issues for men that contribute to infertility. For example, nerve damage from diabetes, multiple sclerosis or a spinal cord injury can lead to retrograde ejaculation – where the semen goes into the bladder. Since the semen never reaches the female reproductive system, infertility may be an issue. Erectile dysfunction, or the inability to achieve an erection, is another diabetes complication that can lead to fertility problems for men.

I also had the Mirena IUD removed recently and fertility doesn't always come back as quickly as the advertisements say. I didn't start ovulating again until 5 months after I had it removed, and I only had it in there for 6 months.