Estrogen Shown to Boost Fertility in Males by Keeping Sperm Strong

Estrogen has always been considered the female hormone, but new medical research shows it plays an important role in male fertility as well. In a report in Nature, doctors at the University of Illinois said they had discovered that estrogen helps keep sperm strong. Without the hormone, sperm becomes diluted, which can cause infertility.

Their experiments on mice showed that estrogen regulates the reabsorption of fluid in small tubes in the testicle called lumen. If the fluid is not absorbed, the sperm will be diluted rather than concentrated, which can cause infertility. The researchers said the data suggested that estrogen deficiency or insensitivity in humans might also result in an accumulation of fluid and subsequent atrophy of the testes.