Ellen Cahill, MD, on testosterone usage among men interested in fertility

Men who are further along in their fertility journey were found to be less likely to be using testosterone, according to recent data presented at the 26h Annual Fall Scientific Meeting of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) in Grapevine, Texas.¹

In an interview with Urology Times®, lead author Ellen M. Cahill, MD, discussed the key findings and implications of this work. According to Cahill, these findings suggest patient understanding of the impact of testosterone on fertility.

Cahill is a PGY-3 resident at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.

In total, the study included 8,148 men seeking fertility evaluation. Of those, 306 (3.8%) reported current testosterone use. Testosterone use was lowest among those who had been trying to conceive for 7 to 12 months or over 12 months (both 2.6%). Testosterone use was highest among those who indicated that they were “just curious” (7.6%).

Cahill also added, "Patients on testosterone had about 25 million total motile sperm vs those not on testosterone had 90 million sperm in the ejaculate. So we know that being on testosterone is not good for your sperm counts, and can take time to recover."

REFERENCE

1. Cahill EM, Nolte D, Morrison JC, et al. Testosterone Use and Semen Quality in a Large Cohort of Men Seeking Fertility Evaluation. Presented at: 26h Annual Fall Scientific Meeting of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America. October 9-12, 2025. Grapevine, Texas. Abstract 429