600,000 men taking unregulated steroids warned over devastating impact on fertility

A London fertility clinic has released findings that suggest nearly half of all young men in Britian have no idea that gym steroids and testosterone treatment directly damage male fertility.

The Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health (CRGH) conducted research in partnership with Examen to help demonstrate that ‘infertility is not just a women’s health issue’.

Taking a study of 2,000 UK males aged 18 to 40, the research estimates that 600,000 men are taking hormone medications that ‘shut down natural sperm production’.

It suggests that this figure has been ‘driven by the growth in private commercial clinics who are privately prescribing testosterone’ to men in the UK. This includes in a bid to combat low energy and libido (3.3 percent) as well as people buying it ‘from unregulated gym floor and social media driven black markets’ (3.5 percent).

The study found that a large number of men don't realise the impacts. (Getty Stock)

For example, anabolic steroids are medicines that copy the effects of male hormones, like testosterone.

And the NHS adds that while they can only be issued by pharmacists with a prescription, they are sometimes taken without medical advice in order to increase muscle mass and improve athletic performance.

For men, direct possible side effects of regularly taking anabolic steroids include reduced sperm count, infertility and shrunken testicles.

CRGH say London has emerged as England’s ‘primary blind spot’ having recorded the highest rates of illicit steroid and testosterone use in the country (5.5 percent). But, only 41.3 percent realise the impacts of the substances on sperm (compared to about 60 percent of men in the North West and 58.8 percent in the South West).

Put bluntly, a lot of men taking these unregulated steroids do not realise they could be causing themselves to be infertile.

Anabolic steroids can cause reduced sperm count, shrunken testicles and infertility. (Getty Stock)

This week marks National Fertility Awareness Week

Mr Wael Saab, fertility consultant and medical director at CRGH, said:

“If you walk into any gym or follow people on social media, you will see men tracking their macros, timing their workouts, and obsessing over every marginal gain. But when you look deeper, many of them are causing long term silent damage to their reproductive health.

“Whether it’s unmonitored private prescriptions or gym-floor black market medication, the biological effect on the brain is the same: external testosterone shuts off natural hormone production. Combine that with daily hot tubs, saunas, and extreme diets, and men in their twenties are accidentally shutting down their fertility while trying to look their physical best.

“The real concern is that most men will only discover this after twelve to eighteen months of painful conception delays, watching their partner go through invasive tests, or waiting months for an initial GP appointment. Male factor issues account for half of all conception struggles, yet men still feel they can’t talk about it.

“Age catches up with all of us, and sperm face the exact same reality: biological time matters. Men should not meet that with fear or denial – knowing where your fertility stands turns uncertainty into a plan. Having a simple semen analysis takes ten minutes and is the first step for any man planning or thinking of starting a family. Checking your sperm carries no shame; it is just another vital sign of how healthy you really are. “This November, let’s bring male fertility into focus. We need to break the taboo and speak openly about male fertility, because the sooner we start the conversation, the sooner couples get the answers they need.”