Can testosterone replacement therapy prevent pregnancy and act as an effective form of birth control? Can you get a girl pregnant on TRT?
My girlfriend and I recently had an accident in the bedroom where the condom broke.
We were both stressing a little, because getting the morning after pill is a big hassle in Hungary. You have to book an appointment with the doctor, go in for a visit, and you only get 2-3 pills a year.
Even getting the regular pill was a chore, requiring a prescription and blood tests before starting.
Just three weeks earlier we had a condom break and had already been through this whole process, so she was not keen to do it again – especially considering that her mother arranges the doctor’s appointments (she’s 19 and her mother works at the hospital) and she was due to start the pill shortly.
Also, I still had to meet the parents and was hoping to do so without them thinking that I was a sexual deviant.
So on the morning of the incident, I racked my brains for alternative solutions. Then it dawned on me…
… I’m on TRT!
I had heard countless stories and anecdotes about testosterone replacement therapy affecting sperm quality and even being used as a form of contraceptive.
That got me wondering whether we even needed to worry at all. Maybe my sperm quality was so low that I was technically infertile, and we didn’t have anything to worry about?
I didn’t want to risk something like this on a hunch, so I decided to dig further, just to be sure.
Here is what I found.
NOTE: All studies and research used for this article can be found in the References section at the end of this article.
Can you get a girl pregnant on TRT?
I’m just going to get to the point and not waste your time.
The data I looked was promising, but unfortunately not conclusive enough to recommend testosterone as an effective form of contraception.
To be certain, I contacted my TRT prescribing doctor with the same question. He confirmed that you cannot guarantee that testosterone will act as an effective form of birth control.
Exogenous testosterone supplementation (like that used in TRT) does decrease sperm production and has detrimental effects on male fertility. However, the degree of this varies significantly enough not to be recommended as a 100% reliable contraceptive.
The closest researchers got to a viable male contraceptive injection, was with a combination of two hormones – testosterone and progestogen. This combination had a 96% success rate in trials!
Unfortunately, numerous side effects were reported by participants, which cause the trial to end earlier than planned.
Therefore, at this stage, you cannot rely on testosterone as a reliable form of birth control. While the likelihood is lower, it is definitely still possible to get a girl pregnant while on testosterone replacement therapy.
” Don’t worry babe, I’m on TRT “
Conclusion
While plenty of studies have been and continue to be done on male birth control, there are currently no 100% effective testosterone and testosterone-based forms of contraception available
Testosterone and TRT can decrease sperm production and male fertility, but this is not certain for everyone and may vary significantly per individual.
Therefore you can not reliable count on TRT as an effective form of birth control.
So, YES – you can get a girl pregnant on TRT!
The likelihood is probably much lower than normal, but are you willing to risk it?
I’m not.
Till next time.
NOTE: For those that actually DO want to get their partners pregnant and are worried that they might not be able to due to TRT, please talk to your doctor about HCG. HCG can be used alongside TRT to prevent infertility and help you conceive.
References
Recovery of spermatogenesis following testosterone replacement therapy or anabolic-androgenic steroid use
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4854084
Exogenous testosterone: a preventable cause of male infertility
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4708215
Male Hormonal Contraception: Where Are We Now?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4762912/
