How CF impacts fertility

CF affects so much more than just the lungs - although this is definitely what it is most well known for.

Here we look at how it affects fertility.

Both men and women with CF are very likely to have issues with fertility.

In men, 98% will require assistance from fertility specialists in order to father a child. This is because the tube that carries sperm from the testicles to the penis (called the vas deferens) is either missing or blocked. There’s nothing ‘wrong’ with the sperm, it just can’t get into the semen.

Women with CF are also more likely to face fertility challenges because low bodyweight and lung infections can cause absent or irregular periods and the mucus in their reproductive organs can make it harder for sperm to reach the egg.