600,000 men are taking ‘unregulated’ steroids which ruin fertility

Some 600,000 men in the UK are taking steroids which ruin their fertility, a new study has found.

Both prescribed steroids and those sourced through the black market are causing a drop in sperm counts among men.

The rise of unregulated steroids are only fueling this, as both private commercial clicnics can prescribe at will for ‘fatigue’ and users often source them from their own gyms.

A third of users are also estimated not to know the impacts using the drugs can have, a survey from the center for Reproductive and Genetic Health (CRGH) and Examen found.

Brett Cole, from Chatham, Kent, was told in 2019 he had a zero sperm count after trying to have a baby with his wife Ali for years.

The 43-year-old was told his regular steroid use, which he sourced from his martial arts gym, had impacted his fertility.

He said: ‘I felt entirely responsible. When you know your poor choices have caused this and then you have to watch your partner suffer through procedures themselves, even though it’s not their fault, you still feel like you are the cause. That feeling stays with you.’

Taking steroids was normalised and accepted as the best way to get fit at the gym Brett trained at.

They are synthetic drugs which are used to help the body to produce muscle, making them popular with gym-goers.

The Class C drugs are legal to possess and use, but it is illegal to supply or sell them. People caught doing so face 14 years in prison.

Brett said: ‘Like most men, I thought I was invincible. I worked out regularly, but I also had a bad diet and drank at the weekends.

‘I didn’t even know male infertility was a thing until it happened to me. A phrase I heard from the lads at the gym was about men “firing blanked”.

‘When I realised what was happening, I felt completely alone and disappointed in myself.’

Because Brett already had a son from his previous relationship, the couple were not entitled to NHS-funded IVF treatment.

The couple went through a private clinic and multiple types of treatment, including having a needle inserted through the skin and into the testicle.

They finally welcomed their daughter Polly.

Dr Elpiniki Chronopoulou, fertility consultant, obstetrician and gynaecologist at CRGH said: ‘Male fertility challenges can often be overlooked, potentially delaying diagnosis and access to appropriate support.

‘Ensuring that men feel heard, supported and included is essential every step of the way.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@usnewsrank.com.

For more stories like this, check our news page.