Heroin is an opioid which is obtained through morphine treatment with chemical substances. Therefore, this is a derivative of morphine, a chemical compound extracted from opium.
Currently, the consumption of heroin decreased greatly. According to numerous surveys, it is believed that the consumption is around 0.1% among the population between 15- and 34-year-olds.
The effects of this drug initially manifest with unpleasant sensations such as vomiting and dizziness, but after 2-4 hours, feelings of sensation, euphoria and relief of any discomfort are perceived. While the effects last, breathing and heartbeats can slow down, body temperature drops, loss of appetite and hypotension can be experienced.
Continued consumption can result in personality disorders and memory loss, anxiety and depression which can lead to high dependence on this drug and affect the person’s ability to have a normal life.
Concerning fertility, heroin is proven to reduce the stimulating hormones of the ovary, which would entail a significant drop in oestrogens, progesterone, and testosterone. Due to these drops, women can experience late periods or even stop menstruating and occasional sexual dysfunction. The response to ovarian stimulation during fertility treatments suffers too.
Moreover, people who use heroin have high rates of HIV infections. As a result, women have more infectious processes in their genitals. These infections can affect the Fallopian tubes by obstructing them and double infertility among consuming women.
Similarly, in men, testicle-stimulating hormones are reduced by heroin consumption. This leads to lower levels of testosterone, which can persist even during treatment with methadone. The sperm count, morphology and mobility of spermatozoids are observed to be lower in sperm tests even after a man has stopped consuming this drug. Heroin can also reduce men’s libido and affect erection.
Abortion risk within the first three months of pregnancy is higher than usual, but under methadone treatment, the risk is observed to diminish.
The number of premature births and the rate of maternal and neonatal infections are also elevated. Neonatal abstinence syndrome is frequent but naturally reduces when future mothers are treated with methadone before birth.
Amphetamines are substances with a similar structure to that of adrenaline. MDMA or ecstasy is a derivative of amphetamines with a hallucinogen effect. The data on its repercussions on fertility is limited. In animal experiments, ecstasy diminishes the pregnancy rate and sperm quality by affecting sperm count and mobility.
IMAGE: https://cuidateplus.marca.com/bienestar/2020/01/17/-consumo-heroina-esta-aumentando-espana-171768.html
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