Viagra and Infertility: Is there a Link?

Is Viagra really linked to Infertility?
Viagra has helped many men who have suffered from a condition known as erectile dysfunction (ED) and has given them the ability to enjoy intimacy with their partners once again. Because Viagra has potential side effects and drug interactions, it’s important that you are in your doctor’s care when taking this drug. It’s necessary that your physician establish whether this medicine is the safest and most optimal choice for you. An individual must obtain a prescription, in order to be given Viagra. In the past few years, there has been apprehension over the practice of using Viagra. As a result of numerous studies performed, it has been suggested that in several of the men tested, a clear link was shown between Viagra and infertility.

How does it work?
Viagra aids in treating erectile dysfunction by increasing the surge of blood to the man’s penis. The medication allots for an extended erection, hopefully returning the ability to the couple, to enjoy sexual intercourse once again. It has also been debated in the past three or four years, whether Viagra is also affecting the sperm in a man’s semen, preventing him from being able to fertilize an egg effectively. Because of this process, doctors are concerned with the questionable link between Viagra and infertility. As a result doctors now question whether younger men, who intend to have families, should be using Viagra on a regular basis.

At Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, a study was performed three years ago, showing a link between Viagra and infertility. When attempting to conceive it’s necessary for a single sperm to penetrate the wall of the egg for fertilization. It has been shown that when using Viagra, the drug appears to cause the sperm to randomly discharge a digestive enzyme that would typically aid the sperm in breaking through the wall of the egg for fertilization. Ironically, while the motility of the sperm actually improved, it was not able to fertilize the egg successfully.

So what does this all mean?
Even though these results were a bit persuasive; in order to ultimately link Viagra to infertility, more studies must be performed and further facts must be collected. It’s important to state, Pfizer (the company that makes Viagra), does not recognize the drug as having any documented link to infertility; but of course, it’s easy to understand why the drug company would make this claim.

The studies and data that have been collected to date are not adequate to make a definitive statement on the subject. The best advice that you can give to a couple who is trying to conceive, while struggling with erectile dysfunction, is to consult with their physician.

Viagra should only be used by those who suffer from erectile dysfunction and have been prescribed the medication by their personal physician. When seeking to conceive it’s best to include your reproductive endocrinologist in the discussion, especially when routine prescription drug use is part of the equation.