Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: 5-ARi is a drug used to improve urinary symptoms in men. Recently, it has been widely used in low doses to prevent and improve hair loss in men. This medication is known to affect sexual function, including decreased libido. However, it is still controversial whether it has a direct effect on trying to get pregnant. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether this drug affects hormonal and semen parameters in men.

Method: The subjects were men who visited our hospital and underwent prenatal testing between September 1, 2023, and August 31, 2024. FSH, estradiol, testosterone, and semen parameters (semen volume, sperm concentration, motility, progressive motility and strict morphology) were compared between patients who had taken 5-ARi for more than 3 months (group I, n = 107) and those who had not taken 5-ARi before the test (group II, n = 107). Patients with diseases such as azoospermia, chromosomal abnormalities, and varicocele were excluded. Additionally, cases of taking drugs other than 5-ARi were also excluded.

Result: There was no difference between the two groups in age (P = 0.645). It was confirmed that there was no difference in the concentrations of FSH, estradiol, and testosterone between the two groups (P = 0.364, 0.278, 0.353). Additionally, there were no significant differences in semen volume, sperm concentration, motility, progressive motility and strict morphology between the two groups (P = 0.494, 0.383, 0.184, 0.349, 0.825).

Conclusion: There was no difference in sperm production-related hormones and male hormones between the group that used 5-ARi and the group that did not. And it was confirmed that there was no significant difference in semen parameters. Although large-scale studies will need to be conducted in the future, in this study, the administration of 5-ARi is thought to have no effect on attempts to conceive in men of childbearing age.