{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,11]],"date-time":"2026-09-11T01:50:20Z","timestamp":1789091420088,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,28]],"date-time":"2025-10-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1761609600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bjui-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BJU International"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To evaluate the clinical necessity and optimal pharmacological strategy for post\u2010cycle therapy (PCT) in recreational anabolic\u2010androgenic steroid (AAS) users with normal pre\u2010cycle reproductive profiles.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Subjects and Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This retrospective, dual\u2010centre cohort study included 79 males who had completed \u22646\u2009months of AAS use and had documented normal pre\u2010cycle reproductive hormone levels and semen parameters. Participants were managed with no treatment (NT; expectant monitoring), clomiphene citrate (CC) monotherapy (25\u2009mg\/day; selective oestrogen receptor modulation to stimulate gonadotrophin release), or CC\u2009+\u2009human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) (25\u2009mg\/day CC\u2009+\u2009hCG 1500\u2009IU subcutaneously three times weekly; rapid androgen repletion and testicular stimulation). In patients with follicle\u2010stimulating hormone (FSH) &lt;1.5\u2009IU\/L, recombinant FSH (rFSH; 75\u2009IU subcutaneously three times weekly) was suggested to promote spermatogenesis. Linear mixed models and logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate group differences and predictors of recovery.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>At baseline (T0), 89.9% of patients had erectile dysfunction and 69.7% exhibited azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia. Both pharmacological regimens accelerated hormonal recovery vs NT, with normalisation across groups by Month 6. Seminal recovery was significantly earlier in treated groups: at 12\u2009months (T12), normozoospermia rates were 87.5% in CC\u2009+\u2009hCG, 69.2% in CC, and 58.6% in NT. Testicular volume increased \u226520% in 70.8% of CC\u2009+\u2009hCG vs 6.9% of NT. Combined therapy independently predicted normozoospermia (odds ratio [OR] 6.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.32\u201329.4) and motility recovery (OR 4.85, 95% CI 1.27\u201318.4). All five men receiving rFSH achieved normozoospermia by T12. Sexual function improved across groups, with faster recovery in treated patients.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Spontaneous hormonal recovery occurs within 6\u201312\u2009months after AAS cessation, yet PCT facilitates earlier hormonal normalisation. The addition of hCG to CC was associated with superior recovery of semen parameters and testicular volume. These findings underscore the potential short\u2010term benefits of PCT and highlight the need for prospective randomised trials to establish evidence\u2010based treatment protocols.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1111\/bju.70059","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,28]],"date-time":"2025-10-28T13:49:51Z","timestamp":1761659391000},"page":"154-165","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Post\u2010cycle therapy after short\u2010term anabolic\u2010androgenic steroid use: comparative outcomes in recreational bodybuilders"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"137","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8581-2101","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Muhammed Arif","family":"\u0130bis","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Urology King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust  London UK"},{"name":"Department of Urology Ankara University School of Medicine  Ankara Turkey"},{"name":"Center for Research on Human Reproduction Ankara University School of Medicine  Ankara Turkey"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4148-6548","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tet","family":"Yap","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Urology Centre Guy's Hospital  London UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2598-0899","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria","family":"Satchi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Urology King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust  London UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-4609-835X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Noman","family":"Ghazanfar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Urology King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust  London UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6917-9051","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Murat Can","family":"Karaburun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Urology Ankara University School of Medicine  Ankara Turkey"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7499-7227","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Omer Onur","family":"Cakir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Urology King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust  London UK"},{"name":"School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences King's College London  London UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1587-0688","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Onder","family":"Yaman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Urology Ankara University School of Medicine  Ankara Turkey"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8046-1963","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fabio","family":"Castiglione","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Urology King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust  London UK"},{"name":"School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences King's College London  London UK"},{"name":"Division of Experimental Oncology\/Unit of Urology, Urological Research Institute IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele  Milan Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_11_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1530\/EJE-15-0080"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10826084.2024.2359717"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1249\/MSS.0000000000002670"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1210\/jc.2018-01882"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s40279-017-0709-z"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/jsxmed\/qdae161.092"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s13011-023-00573-8"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/and.14576"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.therap.2022.03.004"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/cen.12641"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_12_1","unstructured":"European Association of Urology.European Association of Urology guidelines on sexual and reproductive health.2025. 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