Oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, and sperm abnormalities in ex-addict to heroin, morphine, and hashish

A 40-year-old male had been addicted to heroin, morphine, hashish, and other narcotics for 12 years. At examination, 2 years after abstinence from drugs, his semen analysis revealed oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, and morphologically abnormal spermatozoa such as "round-headed" and "kinked"--sperm with neck abnormalities and immature forms. There was no evidence of other morphological abnormalities or of the presence of morphologically normal sperm. A possible correlation is discussed between the long-lasting drug addiction and morphological sperm abnormality, endocrinological function, karyotype, and immunological status.