Effects of drugs on the male and female reproductive systems

Infertility, permanent or temporary, resulting from drug-induced injury is an important clinical problem. Many common used drugs are potentially toxic to gonads. It is well-known that estrogens are toxic to the male genital system, but androgens may also produce infertility. Anovulation may also be a consequence of exposure to sex steroids. Cimetidine regularly produces hypospermia in men; phenytoin does so occasionally. Marijuana has been shown to be a gonadal toxin, while the effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) remain controversial. The most significant group of drugs that may injure the gonads is the cancer chemotherapeutic agents, of which the alkylating agents are the worst offenders. Prediction of infertility induced by these agents may be possible based on the duration of therapy and the patient's age and sex.