Sperm production has a negative effect on immunity
A new study shows that sperm production is more biologically demanding compared to what was formerly believed and expending energy on it has considerable health implications.
Dr Damian Dowling of Monash University's School of Biological Sciences and Professor Leigh Simmons of the University of Western Australia have studied the trade-off between sperm quality and immunity.
They used the Australian cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus in order to prove that the quality sperm production is expensive and men are strategic about investing energy in the biological process.
Dr Dowling stated that investigations into life history trade-offs- investment in reproduction versus future reproduction and survival prospects- have historically focused on women.
The crickets were housed either with sexually immature women, sexually mature women incapable of reproduction or sexually mature capable of reproduction. Sperm quality was measured twice and immune function once during the experiment.
Dr Dowling said that the male crickets were more likely to produce high quality sperm when housed with sexually mature females with whom they could mate, indicating a strategic investment of energy.
The researchers also found out that production of quality sperm have a negative effect on the crickets' immune systems.
Dr Dowling concluded:
"Men that invested heavily in their sperm paid the price of being more likely to succumb to a bacterial infection. We are not talking about STDs here - we are talking about how increased investment into the quality of the ejaculate corresponds with general reductions in immune function."
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