[Medical Q&A] Will genital psoriasis affect fertility?

Planner: Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Niu Jun Chief Physician of the General Hospital of the Northern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army

There may be an impact, especially for patients with psoriasis of childbearing age who are treated with tripterygium wilfordii drugs.

Males: A case-control study showed that the serum testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels of patients with psoriasis were significantly lower than those in the control group, the estradiol level was significantly higher than that in the control group, and the total sperm count, sperm motility, and percentage of sperm with normal morphology were significantly lower than those in the control group. These results suggest that untreated psoriasis may impair male fertility.

Women: Another population-based cohort study showed that women with moderate to severe psoriasis had lower fertility rates. Compared with healthy controls, pregnant women with psoriasis had a higher risk of miscarriage, especially in the first three months of pregnancy. A meta-analysis also showed that women with psoriasis had an increased risk of preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, and gestational diabetes.