Johns Hopkins CF Center | What is CF? | Effects of CF

Johns Hopkins CF Center

Overview
Basic Science
Diagnosis
Effects of CF
   - Sinus
   - Lung
   - Pancreas/
     Gastrointestinal Tract
        - Pancreatic Problems
        - Diabetes Mellitus
        - Intestinal Problems
   - Liver
   - Reproduction
   - Bladder
   - Muscle/Bone
Treatments
CF A to Z
Partners in Discovery
Ask the Experts

Male Reproductive System
CF affects the male reproductive system. In male CF patients with chronic lung disease and malnutrition, puberty is often delayed by one to four years. This late progression is caused by impaired production of sexual development hormones, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormones (LH). Despite this delayed onset, over 90 percent of CF patients achieve normal height.

Male CF Patient Fertility Traits
Reach sexual maturation?	Yes.
Anatomical Changes?	Vas deferens, epididymis and seminal vesicles.
Fertile?	Only 2-3% of male CF patients are fertile.
Sperm production?	Normal production of immature sperm in testes.
Vas deferens present?	Atrophied or absent in approximately 95% of CF males.
Seminal vesicle function?	Dysfunctional; normal maturation of sperm is impaired.
Semen production?	Reduced volume, no mature sperm, and high acid content.

For CF patients, there is a four-fold increase in the incidence of fluid accumulation around the testes, known as hydrocele. Generally a benign condition, it can impair testicular function. There is a fifteen-fold increase in the risk of having an undescended testicle, increasing the risk of developing cancer, whether or not it ultimately descends.

Compare the normal flow of sperm to the flow with CF by toggling between "Normal" and "With CF" buttons in the menu above.

Female Reproductive System
Female CF patients have functional reproductive abnormalities, like the absence of menstruation, related to malnutrition and chronic disease. Although there are no structural reproductive abnormalities, the quality and quantity of the cervical mucus essential to implantation of the fertilized egg is altered. The majority of women with CF will have decreased fertility in proportion to the overall health of the individual. With good pancreatic and lung function, fertility rates can approach that of the general population. Even women with severe disease can become pregnant.