77 citations
,
June 2015 in “Nature Reviews Urology” Some common medications can harm male fertility, but many effects can be reversed.
72 citations
,
October 1998 in “Baillière's clinical endocrinology and metabolism” Long-term testosterone therapy can cause hormone suppression, affect prostate and heart health, and alter physical characteristics, but does not increase prostate cancer risk and needs more research for full risk assessment.
39 citations
,
January 2019 in “The World Journal of Men's Health” Testosterone replacement therapy can prevent men from fathering children and should not be used by those wanting to stay fertile.
18 citations
,
July 2020 in “Basic and Clinical Andrology” Wait 3 months after COVID-19 before trying assisted reproduction and further research is needed on COVID-19's effects on male hormones and fertility.
17 citations
,
May 2021 in “Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics” COVID-19 may harm male fertility and damage the reproductive system.
1 citations
,
July 2023 in “F&S Reviews” Some common medications may harm male fertility by affecting hormones, sperm production, and sexual function.
April 2026 in “International Journal of Impotence Research” Anabolic steroid abuse can cause sexual, fertility, and health problems.
July 2023 in “The journal of sexual medicine” Anabolic-androgenic steroids harm male hormone levels, sperm, metabolism, and can cause acne, hair loss, and breast growth.
January 2018 in “Elsevier eBooks” 5α-reductase-2 deficiency causes ambiguous genitalia at birth and affects male sexual development, but individuals often develop male characteristics at puberty.
April 2015 in “Andrology” HNG may help prevent the negative effects of chemotherapy on sperm production and white blood cell counts.
104 citations
,
October 1999 in “The Journal of Urology” Finasteride doesn't harm male fertility or sperm quality, but may slightly reduce ejaculate volume.
October 2021 in “bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” A small BOTOX dose improved sperm production and movement in older mice.
2 citations
,
March 2022 in “Laboratory Animal Research” A mild botulinum toxin injection improved sperm production and movement in aging mice.
2 citations
,
October 2000 in “The Journal of Urology” Finasteride daily doesn't affect sperm production or semen in young men.
April 2025 in “Journal of Skin and Stem Cell” PDRN from trout sperm helps skin and hair regeneration but is costly and complex to produce.
1 citations
,
January 2011 in “Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences” Finasteride may decrease semen quality but not harm sperm production, and stopping the drug can improve semen quality; hyperprolactinemia can cause infertility but is treatable with medication.
June 1998 in “Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy” Medical treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy can harm sperm production, so freezing sperm before treatment is important for men who want children later.
5 citations
,
June 2008 in “Acta Cirurgica Brasileira” Finasteride causes sperm production decrease in Mesocricetus auratus.
Finasteride significantly reduced sperm production and caused testicular atrophy in hamsters.
18 citations
,
May 2002 in “BJUI” Finasteride doesn't change rat testicle weight or sperm production.
6 citations
,
April 2022 in “Biomedicines” COVID-19 may harm male fertility by affecting sperm production.
3 citations
,
April 2012 in “Fertility and Sterility” Finasteride may cause infertility in rats by affecting epididymis and sperm function.
January 2026 in “Journal of Sexual and Mental Health” New male contraceptive pills show promise in reducing sperm production with mild side effects.
18 citations
,
October 2021 in “Frontiers in Physiology” Lipocalin-Type Prostaglandin D2 Synthase (L-PGDS) is a protein that plays many roles in the body, including sleep regulation, pain management, food intake, and protection against harmful substances. It also affects fat metabolism, glucose intolerance, cell maturation, and is involved in various diseases like diabetes, cancer, and arthritis. It can influence sex organ development and embryonic cell differentiation, and its levels can be used as a diagnostic marker for certain conditions.
14 citations
,
April 1978 in “International Journal of Dermatology” Antiandrogens can treat acne, hirsutism, and seborrhea by reducing sebum production and androgen action.
49 citations
,
August 1996 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” The combination of cyproterone acetate and testosterone enanthate is highly effective in preventing sperm production and could be a good reversible male contraceptive.
3 citations
,
February 2018 in “Human Reproduction” A man with testotoxicosis was fertile despite low FSH levels, suggesting high testosterone may allow sperm production without FSH.
January 2003 in “Humana Press eBooks” Dihydrotestosterone and 5α-Reductase play a role in hair loss and prostate health, and finasteride can increase hair growth in men without affecting sperm production, but it doesn't work for postmenopausal women with hair loss.
August 2020 in “DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals)” Finasteride, at doses of 5mg or higher, may negatively affect male fertility by reducing the expression of certain genes involved in sperm production.
4 citations
,
January 2023 in “Andrology” The testes produce sperm and hormones essential for male development.