Ibuprofen causing Infertility in Men !

Ibuprofen, which is an over-the-counter medicine and commonly used as pain killer around the globe, is recently described as male fertility killer. Decreasing fertility in humans is becoming a topic of concern for scientific community. The latest research was conducted in University of Copenhagen, which suggested that long term usage of Ibuprofen can result in decreased production of male hormone Testosterone. Ibuprofen can reversibly hinder the production of testosterone at both tissue and cellular levels by testicular cells.

An earlier research suggested that aspirin, acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) and ibuprofen affects the testicles of male babies inside the mother's womb if she is taking them while pregnant. Ibuprofen has the strongest effect, out the above mentioned three medicines. This research inspired researchers in University of Copenhagen to target their research on effect of Ibuprofen on adults. Testicles are not only responsible for sperm production but also for testosterone hormone production. Testosterone is responsible for all manly things in man like muscles and fertility. Ibuprofen is not only used by common man. Athletes and sportsperson also use it as a pain killer, for whom testosterone means a lot.

Shall i totally stop taking Ibuprofen ?
No, the negative effect is only if you take it continuously for longer duration. So if you need to take it for more than three days then you must consult your doctor. A number of other researches will be conducted on the same topic to cross check the results. But still if you have any fear in using it then you may ask your doctor to prescribe some alternate pain killer.

The younger participants in the research who took Ibuprofen for a shorter period, the negative effect can be reversed. But those who are above 40 and taking Ibuprofen for a long time should worry.

Some facts to open your eyes about increasing infertility in human race.

  • 15% of all couples around the globe in 2010 were infertile.
  • Sperm counts of men in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand declined by 59% from 1971 to 2011.

Nobody know the exact cause of this increasing infertility. But there is something wrong either with what we eat or what we use to protect ourselves from some diseases. Drugs are often known for their side-effects, which is never mentioned when they are prescribed. Even the manufacturers of these drugs don't print anything about the side effects. Usually medicines are not tested for their effect on the reproductive system of humans. But now the time has come to make some changes. Increasing user awareness can make the difference.
The results of this research has opened the eyes of a number of people as Ibuprofen is the most widely used pain killer around the world.

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