The Insults of Illicit Drug Use on Male Fertility

Abstract

One-third of infertile couples may have a male factor present. Illicit drug use can be an important cause of male factor infertility and includes use of anabolic-androgenic steroids, marijuana, opioid narcotics, cocaine, and methamphetamines. The use of these illicit drugs is common in the United States, with a yearly prevalence rate for any drug consistently higher in males compared with females. We aim to provide a review of recent literature on the prevalence and effects of illicit drug use on male fertility and to aid health professionals when counseling infertile men whose social history suggests illicit drug use. Anabolic-androgenic steroids, marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamines, and opioid narcotics all negatively impact male fertility, and adverse effects have been reported on the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis, sperm function, and testicular structure. The use of illicit drugs is prevalent in our society and likely adversely impacting the fertility of men who abuse drugs.

Crime and parenthood: Age and gender differences in the association between criminal careers and parenthood

“…Prolonged exposure to these detrimental conditions may negatively affect male fertility, increasing the likelihood of remaining childless (Fronczak, Kim & Barqawil, 2012). Regardless of the similarities in their criminal careers, the men remaining childless could have additional features compared to early fathers that make them unattractive mates even during periods when their deviance increases their appeal as sexual partners.…”

Marijuana, phytocannabinoids, the endocannabinoid system, and male fertility

“…One specific area of concern is the effect of marijuana on the male reproductive system as epidemiological and experimental studies have shown that episodic marijuana use has long been associated with decreased testosterone release, reduced sperm counts, motility, viability, morphology, and inhibition of the acrosome reaction in humans. All of these factors can have drastic implications in the long term with regards to impairing male reproduction as well as negatively impacting the offspring [2][3][4][5].…”

Treatment of hypogonadotropic male hypogonadism: Case-based scenarios

“…The user of anabolic steroids often has azoospermia or oligozoospermia as well as irregularities of sperm morphology and motility [30,31] . For men with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism from anabolic steroid abuse, administration of intramuscular injections of hCG at doses of 2000 to 3000 units 2 to 3 times per week for 4 mo can initiate spermatogenesis [32,33] .…”