Study Shows That Viagra Could Harm Fertility in Men

Researchers are now warning that men who take Viagra could be putting their fertility at risk. According to a study conducted by Queen's University, the prescription drug could harm sperm and reduce its ability to fertilize an egg.

Furthermore, the scientists claim that fertility clinics prescribing the drug to men could actually be reducing their chances of fathering a child.

Dr. David Glenn, who led the research, said:

"It is worrying that some IVF clinics are using Viagra in order to boost fertility results. Couples who go there for treatment are, by definition, already having problems getting pregnant. Viagra may simply be making these worse. Giving male partners something that could make the problem worse is scarcely the right approach."

Dr. Glenn and his team of researchers arrived at these conclusions following a study in which they bathed human sperm in a Viagra solution to give the same exposure as seen in the blood of a man after taking the pill. While they found that the Viagra made the sperm more active than when it was not exposed to the drug, they also found that it damaged the acrosome - a cap-like structure that contains the chemicals needed for the sperm to break into an egg.

In a test on mice, sperm exposed to Viagra produced 40% fewer embryos.

Since its launch in 1998, Viagra has been prescribed to 20 million men. While many are elderly and middle-aged, and not likely concerned about having children, there are some younger men using the drug recreationally.