Thinking about testosterone for the gym, wellbeing or your health? There’s something important you might not have considered: your sperm.
Testosterone has become a hot topic. From gym and fitness culture to conversations about men’s health, energy, mood and wellbeing, more men are considering testosterone treatments or using testosterone and anabolic steroids to change how they look or feel.
But there’s one part of the conversation that often gets overlooked: fertility.
At NUH Life, we’re seeing men come to our fertility clinic with severely reduced or even absent sperm production after taking testosterone. In some cases, they had no idea their testosterone use could have such a significant impact on their fertility.
So how does this happen?
More testosterone doesn’t mean more sperm.
It might seem logical that having more testosterone in your body would be good for sperm production. After all, testosterone is an important male sex hormone.
But sperm production is more complicated than that.
Your brain, pituitary gland and testes work together as a carefully balanced system. The brain and pituitary send hormonal signals to the testes, triggering testosterone production and sperm production.
When you take testosterone from outside the body, your brain detects that there is already plenty of testosterone circulating in your blood stream. It responds by reducing the signals that tell your testes to make their own testosterone. That can dramatically reduce your own testosterone production, but critically, your sperm production too. In some men, this can lead to azoospermia, meaning no sperm can be found in the semen.
“But I’m only taking it for the gym…”
Testosterone and anabolic steroids are increasingly visible in fitness and social media spaces, where conversations often focus on muscle growth, performance, appearance, energy and wellbeing.
Fertility often isn’t part of that conversation.
But whether testosterone is being taken under medical supervision or used for performance or physique purposes, exogenous testosterone can suppress your body’s natural sperm production. The effect can be particularly important for younger men who aren’t thinking about starting a family for many years.
You might not want children now, but you may want the option in the future.
What if I’m taking testosterone and trying for a baby?
If you’re taking testosterone, steroids or any other supplements, make sure you let us know in your fertility consultation. Suppression of sperm production can be reversed after stopping treatment, and sperm production can recover in many men. However, recovery isn’t necessarily immediate and the timeframe varies from person to person. Some men may need several months or longer before sperm production returns.
If you’re taking prescribed testosterone, don’t stop your medication without speaking to the clinician who prescribed it. If you’re planning to have children, or want to preserve your future fertility, tell your doctor or fertility specialist about any testosterone or anabolic steroid use. There may be alternative approaches depending on why testosterone was prescribed and what your fertility goals are.
The takeaway
Testosterone might be marketed as a way to build muscle, improve performance or support wellbeing, but more testosterone doesn’t mean more sperm.
In fact, taking testosterone from outside the body can send the opposite message to your reproductive system and switch down the signals responsible for sperm production.
If you’re thinking about testosterone treatment, already taking it, trying for a baby, or want children in future, make fertility part of the conversation. It’s much easier to make an informed decision about your fertility when you know the facts.