A recent study conducted by medics in Turkey has suggested that vaping could lead to lower sperm counts, reduced libido, and shrunken testicles.
The findings, published in the Spanish medical journal Revista Internacional de Andrología and shared by The Daily Star, examined the testicle size and sperm counts of rats, along with markers of stress in the blood and genitals.
“It should be considered that although [e-cigarette] liquid has been introduced as harmless in smoking cessation studies, it could increase oxidative stress and cause morphological changes in the testicle,” said the researchers.
During the investigation, the sperm count of rats exposed to e-cigarette vapour was found to measure 95.1 million sperm per millilitre, compared to 98.5 million per millilitre in the group who were not exposed to any nicotine substances.
However, the group of rats exposed to cigarette smoke had the lowest of all three counts with 89 million sperm per millilitre. Their testes also measured the smallest and weighed less than the rats exposed to e-cigarette vapour as well as the control group.
“To be a safe option in smoking cessation studies, its effect on people needs to be enlightened,” the researchers concluded.
In addition to the dangers now linked with e-cigarette use, such as lung injury and poor mental health, vaping has also previously been suggested to affecting fertility, which goes against the idea that e-cigarettes are a “safe” alternative to regular cigarettes.
