Impotent Drugs May Affect the Motility Sperm

Impotent drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction may have improved sex lives of men around the world, but a new study conducted in the laboratory suggests that such drugs can have a negative effect in sperm motility, or the ability of the sperm to move freely through the female reproductive tract. Due to the need that the sperm must “swim” to reach and fertilize the egg in the female reproductive tract, the findings raise new questions now about the effect of these drugs on male fertility.

Results of the study shows that sildenafil (better known as Viagra) or other drugs are injected directly into the penis, such as Phentolamine can reduce the motility of sperm, according to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Dr. J Roberto Andrade, an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Andrade was straight to the point by saying that the study was on small sperm samples in the laboratory and therefore this cannot happen in the similar way inside our body, given the conditions of the human body. The study was done using samples from 10 men aged 18-44 years.

While both drugs in high concentrations end up affecting sperm motility, research in turn was not performed under ideal conditions, reports Dr. Andrade to Reuters Health. “We try to isolate the molecule Viagra but could not do so in pH that would likely be found in natural conditions, instead the researchers ended up mixing Viagra and sperm at low pH.” A dose of 200 micrograms has no effect on motility of spermatozoa, but the dose 2000 microgram reduces the motility by 50% according to the results presented. These are well below the doses that men take, though the drug found in sperm is quite diluted, noted Dr. Andrade. Still, this was not the expected result, since he anticipated that Viagra could even accelerate motility sperm. I thought just the opposite," commented Dr. Andrade while talking to Reuters Health.

The effect of Phentolamine was expected because more is known that the drug inhibits androgen receptors. A dose of 20 micrograms has no effect; however, with 200 micrograms mixed with sperm “results in a significant reduction in sperm motility.” With 2000 micrograms almost all the sperm stopped along the way. In fact, people are very curious about this study. No one until the research thought the sperm quality and its motility will be affected while using drugs to treat erectile dysfunction.  While most men who take these drugs are older and perhaps therefore less concerned with the issue of fertility, there are also young men who are doing fertility treatment. Men only think of order Viagra and take it, never realised that it will affect their fertility.

The study was unable to determine the exact concentration of the drugs found in sperm. “Clinical studies must be undertaken to assess the concentration of these drugs in the sperm necessary for the restoration of erectile function, but also to determine how these drugs affect the quality and quantity of sperm and fertility ultimately”, concluded Dr. Andrade and his team. They plan to study the effect of these drugs on sperm motility directly in human models. “While these results are still preliminary, if a couple has experienced fertility problems while man is using drugs for the treatment of impotent, his doctor should be consulted”, advises the researcher.