America's birth rate has been on a steady decline since 2007, and pronatalists − both in the White House and out − are determined to raise it. But an underdiscussed obstacle might be standing in the way.
A growing number of men are using testosterone supplements in the hopes of enhancing their physical performance, unaware of the drug’s impact on their fertility, and more public figures — from Joe Rogan to Dax Shepard — are making their use of supplements known. From 2016 to 2019, prescriptions for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT, or “T”) have increased by 20%. Dr. Masaya Jimbo, a urologist and male infertility specialist at Reproductive Medicine Associates Philadelphia, says more college students are coming into his practice seeking — or already taking — testosterone.
However, research shows up to 25% of men do not have their testosterone levels checked before starting therapy, and up to a third do not meet the criteria for testosterone deficiency. Jimbo warns that the desired benefits of TRT — such as increased sex drive and enhanced fitness — do not unequivocally outweigh the damage TRT can have on men’s fertility.
“There’s a lot of men who are out there taking testosterone thinking that it's making them more virile, but in fact, the testosterone is telling their testicles to shut off,” says Dr. Neel Shah, the Chief Medical Officer at Maven Clinic, a virtual clinic for women’s and family health. “Within three to six months, they can go from producing normal amounts of sperm to producing none at all.”
