Systematic review of hormone replacement therapy in the infertile man

OBJECTIVES: To highlight alternative treatment options other than exogenous testosterone administration for hypogonadal men with concomitant infertility or who wish to preserve their fertility potential, as testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) inhibits spermatogenesis, representing a problem for hypogonadal men of reproductive age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a comprehensive literature review for the years 1978–2017 via PubMed. Also abstracts from major urological/surgical conferences were reviewed. Review was consistent with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria. We used Medical Subject Heading terms for the search including ‘testosterone replacement therapy’ or ‘TRT’ and ‘male infertility’. RESULTS: In all, 91 manuscripts were screened and the final number used for the review was 56. All studies included were performed in adults, were written in English and had an abstract available. CONCLUSIONS: Exogenous testosterone inhibits spermatogenesis. Hypogonadal men wanting to preserve their fertility and at the same time benefiting from TRT effects can be prescribed selective oestrogen receptor modulators or testosterone plus low-dose human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG). Patients treated for infertility with hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism can be prescribed hCG alone at first followed by or in combination from the start with follicle-stimulating hormone preparations.