Scientists in Brazil have come across an interesting finding.  During their research involving teen boys with varicocele, a widening of the veins located in the scrotum, they realized that those boys were quite possibly more apt to have trouble getting their future partners pregnant.

The reason for the likely infertility is two-fold: 

1.  Variocele can lead to lowered quality of sperm.

2.  Variocele can lead to shrinking of the testicles.

Current Brazilian studies indicate that about 15% of males over the ages of 15 have varicocele.  Additionally, research from Brazil has concluded that about 1/3 of men experiencing infertility have some form of varicocele and about 4/5 of men experiencing secondary infertility (e.g., those who have fathered a child at least once before) have a form of the testicular condition.

As a result, Brazilian physicians and scientists are suggesting that teens with varicocele undergo surgery to remedy the mostly-harmless testicular condition in order to preserve their fertility.  Of course, this is a subject best handled in families, as any surgery brings with it potential complications.  Still, it’s an interesting development and one that could lead to children for men with varicocele who might not have been able to father a child without medical intervention.

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