Finasteride and Sperm Concentration: Rapid Systematic Review

This review concluded that oral finasteride for men and topical minoxidil for both genders have the most evidence supporting their effectiveness and safety for treating androgenetic alopecia.

This study found that discontinuing finasteride led to a significant increase in sperm counts for most men with reduced fertility, though hormone levels and other semen parameters remained unchanged.

This study describes the first reported case of a successful full-term pregnancy and live birth after long-term use of finasteride, suggesting it may not prevent normal conception despite initial severe oligospermia after discontinuation.

This case report describes a 40-year-old man whose secondary infertility, observed after prolonged finasteride use for hair loss, resolved following discontinuation of the drug, resulting in a live birth.

This study found that 94% of healthy men reported low libido and 92% reported erectile dysfunction as persistent sexual side effects after using finasteride for male pattern hair loss, with these effects lasting on average 40 months post-discontinuation.

Stopping finasteride can improve sperm count in infertile men.

In this case report, a male patient's semen parameters improved after discontinuing a 1-mg dose of finasteride, suggesting that stopping the medication may benefit infertile men with previous sperm production issues.

This study found that the prevalence of androgenetic alopecia in Chinese men and women was lower than in Caucasians and similar to that in Koreans.

This case report describes two infertile patients who experienced significant improvements in sperm concentrations six months after stopping finasteride.

In this study, administering 5alpha-reductase inhibitors reduced dihydrotestosterone levels and was associated with mild, reversible decreases in semen parameters in healthy men.

This study reported that semen quality improved in three young men after discontinuing long-term finasteride use, although meiotic abnormalities persisted.

This study concluded that daily treatment with 1 mg finasteride did not affect spermatogenesis or semen production in young men and had small, reversible effects on prostate volume and serum PSA.