LUCKNOW: Wife of a 32-year-old bodybuilder-cum-model Rameez Khan (name changed) was unable to conceive for five years. He got her examined, but no medical problem was detected. Rameez then approached Dr Salil Tandon (urologist), who runs a private clinic in Niralanagar who advised him to go for a sperm test.
The test revealed that he was suffering from azoospermia, which means there were no sperms in a single ejaculation, causing infertility. On further probe it was found that he had been taking anabolic steroids for bodybuilding since the age of 26 which had resulted in infertility. "I am treating him, but it is likely to take a year or more to reverse the situation," said Dr Tandon during the 34th annual conference of the Lucknow Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Society (LOGS) and Gynaecological Academic Welfare Association on Sunday.
Dr Tandon highlighted how the misuse of anabolic steroids by men is affecting fertility. He said, "I am seeing three-four fit young men almost every month who believe they are at the peak of physical perfection and don't believe it could be their fault when their wives find it difficult to become pregnant. They are insulted when it is suggested that they undergo a sperm test and horrified when results of those tests show absence of sperm. "Such men go to the gym and take anabolic steroids to bulk up," he said.
"It's certain that steroids affect fertility and in some cases production of sperm stops. While some patients could not regain their reproductive capacity, others take years for normal sperm production to resume," he said. Another urologist at SGPGIMS Dr Shashiraj Singh said when someone takes steroids to boost testosterone, the brain stops sending signals to testicles to produce hormones naturally. "As result, the production of sperms stops," said Dr Shashiraj. Dr Salil called for regulation on sale of supplements with anabolic steroids.
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