Thyroid impairment and male fertility: a narrative review of literature

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of thyroid function on male fertility, focusing on hypo- and hyperthyroidism.

Methods: A PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus research was performed. Original studies in English published online up to 31 May 2023 were selected and reviewed. The final reference list was defined based on the relevance of each paper to the scope of this review.

Results: The available data in animals (31 studies) and human (26 studies) showed conflicting results. However, thyroid dysfunction altered erection and ejaculation both in animal models than in men.

Conclusion: Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism seem to cause ejaculation and erectile dysfunction. Hence, Guidelines recommend against the systematic screening for thyroid disorders in the men in sub-fertile couples, but only in men with ejaculation and erectile dysfunction and/or altered semen parameters.

Keywords: Male fertility; hyperthyroidism; hypothyroidism; male infertility; thyroid.