Fertility Expert, Dr. Ibrahim Wada Has A Warning Message For Men Who Use Hormonal Drugs To Treat Low Sperm Count
A fertility and reproductive health expert has warned men struggling with low sperm count to avoid using hormonal drugs to suppress the health condition.
The term “hormonal drugs”, according to the expert, Dr. Ibrahim Wada, originally applies to substances secreted by various endocrine glands and transported in the bloodstream to the target organs. It is, however, sometimes extended to include those substances that are not produced by the endocrine glands but have similar effects.
In an exclusive interview with PUNCH HealthWise, President, Association for Fertility and Reproductive Health, Dr. Wada, disclosed that in the quest to boost the quality of sperms, it would be unwise for anybody to resort to hormonal medications. The reproductive health specialist said:
“All we are saying is that there is a glimmer of hope for men with low sperm count. Although the chances are low, it is not completely zero. A man with a low sperm count can still be lucky to have the wife conceive.
“Sometimes there could be a delay. But there are so many things that could help. In terms of medication, I beg to state that men should not take male hormonal drugs to promote their fertility.”
Dr Wada argued that men consuming testosterone-based drugs probably purchase them over the counter because such drugs could not have been recommended by any doctor. He added:
“The truth is that they worsen sperm count. There are, however, some injections called ‘gonadotropins’ in some appropriate cases that may help men, so also ‘antioestrogens’ may help in terms of support.
“But the choice is made by what the medical person has suggested. They have to know the reason the man is infertile before they can prescribe such medication. Of course, the field of in-vitro fertilization is probably the biggest hope that has come for men with low sperm count.”
The specialist noted that where the sperm count is low but not too bad, it is possible to conduct an IVF.
The term “low sperm count”, according to Mayo Clinic, connotes that the fluid (semen) that is ejaculated during an orgasm contains fewer sperm than normal.
A low sperm count can manifest as oligospermia, which is a complete absence of sperm and, azoospermia, which is when the sperm count is lower or fewer than 15 million sperm per millilitre of semen.
Having a low sperm count decreases the odds of the sperm fertilizing an egg and resulting in pregnancy. Nonetheless, many men who have low sperm count are still able to father a child.
Low sperm count symptoms might include:
Problems with sexual function — for example, low sex drive or difficulty maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction), pain, swelling or a lump in the testicle area and decreased facial or body hair or other signs of a chromosome or hormone abnormality.
SEE ALSO: Struggling With Functional Male Infertility Such As A Low Sperm Count? Help Is Here
Dr Wada explained that where sperms are discovered to be too low and fail to work, ‘intracytoplasmic sperm injection’ an in vitro fertilization procedure in which a single sperm cell is injected directly into the cytoplasm of an egg could help such men achieve fatherhood.
“Again, there is another class of people called ‘exospermic.’ It means when they ejaculate, there is no single sperm found in it. Such men may never impregnate anybody without the help of IVF.
“But in IVF and ICSI, it is possible to obtain small samples of sperms from the testes and use it to fertilise the wife’s eggs, even though he is incapable of passing out sperms by himself. It is this kind of people who can benefit from IVF intervention,”
he stated.