Abstract

Potential environmental hazards should be carefully evaluated during clinical assessment of male fertility disorders. Apart from drugs or factors related to lifestyle such as alcohol and tobacco smoke, various environmental and occupational agents, both chemical and physical, may impair male reproductive functions. With regard to the complex development and regulation of the male reproductive system, different compartments and cell types have to be considered as possible targets. Disturbances of spermatogenesis can be routinely identified by detailed semen analysis. However, our knowledge of single exogenous factors and their mechanisms of action in humans is very limited, as extrapolation of results from experimental animal studies remains difficult. For the clinical andrologist, the assessment of relevant exposures to reproductive toxicants by taking detailed histories is still most important. In conjunction with epidemiological studies in occupational and environmental medicine, more data from both exposed and unexposed men have to be collected according to standardized protocols in order to identify or confirm potential reproductive hazards.

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