Contraceptive efficacy and adverse effects of testosterone enanthate in Thai men
Sukcharoen, N.; Aribarg, A.; Kriangsinyos, R.; Chanprasit, Y.; Ngeamvijawat, J.
Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand 79(12): 767-773
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0125-2208 PMID: 9071080 Document Number: 304502
To assess the safety and efficacy of testosterone enanthate as a fertility control method, 17 healthy Thai men 21-45 years of age were administered weekly intramuscular injections of 200 mg of the androgen. All men were in stable relationships in which fertility had been established by a prior pregnancy. The study consisted of suppression, efficacy, and recovery phases. The median time required for the first semen sample to show azoospermia was 85 days. The three men who entered the efficacy phase still oligozoospermic (sperm concentrations under 3 million/ml) all achieved azoospermia early in the 12-month evaluation. There were no pregnancies during 6 months of exposure involving men with severe oligozoospermia and 152 months of exposure in azoospermic men. The regimen was associated with significant increases in body weight, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and testosterone and decreases in testicular volume, plasma urea, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Plasma LH and FSH levels recovered to pretreatment levels after cessation of treatment. Two men discontinued during the efficacy phase: one because of weight gain and hypertension, and another due to abnormal liver function tests. Testosterone has the advantages of providing simultaneous gonadotropin suppression and androgen replacement, making it an ideal single-agent hormonal male contraceptive. Compliance would be improved by the use of long-acting depot preparations. Although this study confirms testosterone's well-sustained suppression of spermatogenesis and lack of short-term adverse effects, long-term effects on cardiovascular and prostatic disease require investigation.