How much does radiation affect sperm count?

[Bryan Williams]

Hey everyone! When I was 7 I had a tumor on the right side of my ribs, and got it again when i was 12. I have been exposed to radiation from the treatments. I currently don't have insurance so I can't go to an expert doctor. I've been looking online to find out, but is it possible for me to have children? And if so what are the chances? Thanks all!

 

[potlover62]

We have no way of knowing. Sorry.My guess is that the radiation doses were at safe levels and would not affect your sperm count at this point, even if it might have affected it at the time of the treatments.

 

[Stephen W]

You should be able to have children, as the radiation was focused. Not like working at a nuclear power plant, where it's all around

 

[TONY]

The beam from a Linear Accelerator used for external beam radiation therapy is very fine and can be focused and concentrated onto an area that is a fraction of an inch across, without affecting surrounding tissue. If there was any chance of the radiation contacting your genital area, that section of your body would've been covered with a protective lead shield. Your ribs are nowhere near your genitals, so chances are you didn't even need to have the protective shield in place.So, from what you have described, your past radiation treatment would not affect your ability to provide a healthy supply of sperms.

 

[monbarachan]

You were so young so there might not be any to very little damage, in an adult male though it can cause infertility.

 

[freewill]

Unless the treatment was specific to your prostate, I wouldn't worry about it. I'm sure that precautions were taken to protect the gonads from harmful doses. The sperm count can be lowered for about 6 months after treatment, but usually returns to normal as long as the threshold dose for infertility was not exceeded (causing the infertility).