Male fertility drugs are often used to treat fertility problems or infertility in men. However, these drugs should not be used carelessly, because they have their own benefits and side effects. Therefore, you are advised to be more careful in choosing male fertility drugs.
Fertility problems are often one of the main causes of a couple not having children even though they have been pregnant for more than 12 months and have sex without contraception.
Infertility can actually be experienced by anyone, both men and women. However, it is estimated that about 30% of fertility problems are experienced by men.
Infertility or male infertility can be caused by various things, such as impaired sperm quality, hormonal disorders, genetic problems, disorders of the male reproductive organs, and certain diseases, such as diabetes and autoimmune diseases.
To overcome these fertility problems, doctors can prescribe male fertility drugs. These drugs generally function to increase the number and quality of sperm.
Several Kinds of Drugs and Supplements for Male Fertility
If you and your partner are not blessed with children after more than a year of trying to conceive, you and your partner are advised to see a doctor.
The doctor will perform a fertility test to determine the cause of fertility problems in you or your partner. If after the examination, you are declared to have fertility problems or male infertility, the doctor may prescribe the following types of male fertility drugs:
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone that is naturally only found in the female body. However, hCG can also be a male fertility drug to help increase the production of the hormone testosterone and sperm.
One of the conditions for a man to be said to be fertile is if in 1 ml of issued semen contains about 15 million sperm. If your sperm count is below this number, your doctor may give you the hormone hCG.
This drug is usually given by injection 3 times a week for at least 6 months. If needed, the dose of hCG can be increased and treatment can be continued for up to 12 or 24 months.
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
In addition to hCG, other drugs that can be used to improve male fertility are the hormone FSH or follicle-stimulating hormone. Actually, the male body is able to produce this hormone naturally, but only in small amounts. However, in certain cases, this drug can be used to increase sperm production.
Supplement
In addition to giving drugs, your doctor may also be able to advise you to use supplements as male fertility drugs. There are several supplements that show potential benefits in improving sperm quality, including:
- Folic acid
- Zinc
- Co-enzyme Q10
- L-acetyl carnitine
- L-carnitine
- Selenium
- Certain vitamins, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E
- Certain herbal supplements, such as black cumin extract (Nigella sativa), ginseng, and pasak bumi (Eurycoma longifola)
In general, these supplements have antioxidant effects that are known to counteract the effects of free radicals that affect male fertility. However, the benefits and effectiveness of the various supplements above for treating male infertility still need to be studied further.
How to Increase Male Fertility
In addition to taking male fertility drugs prescribed by a doctor or using supplements, there are several ways you can do to help increase fertility and sperm count and quality, namely:
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet.
- Obtain and maintain ideal body weight according to body mass index.
- Exercise regularly.
- Manage stress and get enough rest.
- Prevent sexually transmitted infections by not changing sexual partners.
- Quit smoking and consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Remember, before taking supplements or male fertility drugs, you are advised to consult an andrology specialist first. This is so that the doctor can provide the right treatment according to the cause of your fertility problems.