Male Fertility Drugs

Just as female fertility is under the tight regulation of hormones, so too is male fertility, albeit to a slightly lesser extent. When disrupted, these hormones can impair fertility, and so the focus of many male fertility drugs is to restore fertility by promoting better sperm production. That being said, fertility drugs are largely focussed on female fertility because they tend to be more effective in that area. Male fertility drugs are about a third as effective and successful as their female counterparts, but they do have their uses and can be a great solution to infertility issues.

What male fertility drugs are there and what do they do?

Human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) and clomiphene are two of the most widely used and effective fertility drugs for women that have their uses in treating a male condition called primary hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. This condition stems from a deficiency of the male hormone responsible for sperm production, testosterone. Basically the effect of these drugs is to stimulate the production of hormones which cause your testes to produce more testosterone, leading to increased sperm production and a solution to one of the most common cause of male infertility: a low sperm count.

Other drugs used to treat male fertility issues, but not fertility treatments as such, aim to treat other conditions which are impairing fertility. Often an infection within the testes or other parts of the male reproductive system can cause a blockage or disrupt sperm production in another way, and so prescribing antibiotics to treat these conditions can restore fertility.

Another cause of male infertility that can be treated through drugs is retrograde ejaculation, a condition where rather than ejaculating sperm outwards into the penis, you ejaculate in the opposite direction into your bladder. Certain medications can close off access to your bladder, preventing sperm from being ejaculated in the wrong direction.

Other male fertility drugs are constantly being developed, and where possible a specialist might prescribe a drug used for the treatment of female infertility to adjust a hormonal imbalance.

Are fertility drugs for me?

Because they aren’t as effective as their female equivalents, male fertility treatments are not used as often in the UK. They are, however, useful where the cause of infertility is a hormonal imbalance that is to do with glands in the brain responsible for regulating fertility, the hypothalamus and pituitary. These treatments can increase your sperm count, and in some instances improve both sperm quality and motility, all common sources of male infertility.

Side effects

If female fertility drugs are being used as mentioned above, then there can be some unwanted side effects like weight gain and the enlargement of male breasts. Temporary visual blurriness and liver damage are much rarer potential side effects.

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