Post Date December, 03 2023
Under normal circumstances, there is a protective layer between testicular tissue and the blood that supplies testicular nutrition, known medically as the blood testosterone barrier, which can prevent certain substances in the blood from entering the testicles. However, many drugs can pass through the blood testis barrier, thereby affecting testicular function, interfering with sperm formation, and affecting the healthy union of sperm and eggs in two ways. Therefore, medication must be vigilant, and never let drugs become the terminator of fertility.
How do drugs affect fertility?
One is interference with sperm formation. For example, some common immune modulators, such as cyclophosphamide, nitrogen mustard, vincristine, cisplatin, and other drugs, have strong toxic effects and can directly disrupt sperm DNA synthesis, including changes in genetic material composition, chromosomal abnormalities, and sperm abnormalities. There are also morphine, chlorpromazine, erythromycin, rifampicin, antipyretic and analgesic drugs, ciprofloxacin (artificial antibiotics), ketoconazole (anti mold drugs), and so on. These drugs affect sperm fertility by interfering with the synthesis of androgens, such as male infertility and women's habitual abortion (early embryo loss), partly as a result of male sperm damage.
The second is that these drugs enter the testis through the blood testosterone barrier. "They can be excreted into the vagina through sexual activity along with the semen produced by the testicles, which is absorbed by the vaginal mucosa and enters the blood circulation, increasing the incidence of low birth weight infants and deformed fetuses, and also increasing the mortality rate of perinatal fetuses.".
In addition, there are some drugs that can also enter semen, such as metronidazole, ampicillin, amphetamine, diphenylhydantoin, etc. However, current research is not very clear about their impact on sperm, fertilized eggs, and the fetus.
In addition, drugs that affect male sexual life can also indirectly affect eugenics and childbearing.
The following drugs should not be used arbitrarily by prospective fathers:
Various sex hormone drugs, such as androgens and clomiphene, can affect the endocrine function of the human body, and doctors often use them to treat endocrine diseases. However, these drugs are a double-edged sword, used properly and conducive to fertility; Improper use inhibits sperm development. When expectant fathers use estrogen and progesterone drugs, it may also lead to decreased sexual pleasure, rapid decline or even disappearance of sexual desire, thereby affecting ejaculatory function.
In addition, glucocorticoids such as prednisone and dexamethasone, if used in large quantities for a long time, can also reduce the sexual function of prospective fathers and harm the health of sperm.
Diuretics such as spironolactone have anti androgenic effects, and if used for a long time, they can reduce sexual function and harm sperm. In addition, dihydroxyurea can also reduce sexual function; Furosemide (furosemide, furanilic acid) and butyric acid (butylphenoxyic acid, budesonide) can induce hypokalemia and sometimes erectile dysfunction, but the situation can be improved after potassium salt supplementation.
Antihypertensive drugs such as reserpine, which is used to treat hypertension, can affect the sexual function of most male patients, even if the dose is small, and even cause inability to ejaculate. Some can also induce depression, making the original sexual dysfunction and low libido more severe. Therefore, prospective fathers should not choose reserpine. Guanethidine can also easily lead to penis failure to erect, delayed ejaculation, or even inability to ejaculate.
Cardiovascular drugs such as commonly used methyldopa, hydrazine (hydrazine phthalazide), meglumine, and prazosin, as well as clonidine for the treatment of glaucoma and hypertension, and digitalis, digoxin, and cardiotonic for the treatment of coronary heart disease, can lead to a decline in male sexual function. Propranolol (propranolol, propranolol), which is used to treat cardiac arrhythmias, is prone to side effects such as decreased libido and erectile dysfunction when the dose is slightly increased.
Chinese herbal medicine: Most Chinese herbal medicines are natural plants with little side effects. However, for Dad, Chinese herbal medicine is not absolutely safe. For example, Tripterygium wilfordii has a significant killing effect on sperm. In addition, expectant fathers in cotton producing areas should pay special attention to not eating cottonseed oil, otherwise they may miss their childbearing plans.
Immunomodulators such as cyclophosphamide, nitrogen mustard, and cisplatin have strong toxic effects that can directly disrupt sperm DNA synthesis, including changes in genetic material composition, chromosomal abnormalities, and sperm abnormalities. Like male infertility, women have habitual abortions (early embryo loss), which are partly the result of male sperm damage.
These drugs can also be excreted into the vagina along with the semen produced by the testicles through sexual life, and then absorbed by the vaginal mucosa into the blood circulation, increasing the incidence of low birth weight infants and deformed fetuses, and increasing the perinatal fetal mortality rate.
Among the more commonly used drugs, the anesthetic morphine and the immune modulator cyclophosphamide can increase the incidence of low birth weight infants and malformed fetuses through the above-mentioned channels, and will increase the chance of perinatal neonatal death. In addition, metronidazole, erythromycin, ampicillin, valeryloxymethyl ester, thiamphenicol, amphetamine, and diphenylhydantoin can enter the semen and affect fetal development.
Chaoyang Health Tips
Finally, it should be noted that there are also some drugs that can reduce the quality of sperm, including changes in genetic material composition, chromosome abnormalities, and sperm abnormalities, which may lead to a decline in the quality of pregnancy and affect the development of offspring. Drugs such as methylbenzylhydrazine hydrochloride, mitomycin C, and triamine triazine all have this effect.
