Steroids render Hanoi man infertile

The patient, unnamed, frequently goes to the gym and has been using multiple drugs and supplements to increase his muscle mass for several years, Phan Chi Thanh, a doctor at the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, said Friday.

“Overusing supplements to increase muscle mass, which contain testosterone, over long periods of time, is a cause for low sperm count,” he said, adding that the man and his wife have been trying for a child after two years of marriage, but failed.

Thanh said there needs to be more endocrinology tests to choose the best treatment regime for the man’s case.

Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone and is produced mostly in the testicles (95%), with a small amount produced at the adrenal glands. While testosterone plays a role in the increase of muscle mass, overusing it can cause multiple health complications, including fertility.