Consequences of the Use of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids for Male Athletes’ Fertility

摘要: It is well-known that the intake of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) has potential harmful effects on male sexual organs and particularly testes. The most relevant abusive use AAS reproductive system to affect athletes’ fertility by: reducing secretion rate circulating hormones hypothalamic–pituitary–testicular axis (endogenous testosterone its derivatives inhibin b); spermatogenesis alteration (oligozoospermia, azoospermia, asthenozoospermia, taratozoospermia); testicular atrophy; prostatic hypertrophy; carcinoma; difficulty/pain during urination; gynecomastia; priapism; impotence. These other consequences are aggravated according manner in which used (type steroid, dose, time use). However, except extreme situations or age at steroid started, these changes usually reversed once drugs stopped, this reversion process may be accelerated when using gonadotrophins gonadotrophin analogues (human chorionic human menopausal gonadotrophin) restore functioning. Time normalization individual depends type prior dose intake, sometimes exceeding 12 months after stopping drug use.