If don’t follow sports, you may have missed out on the Clomind controversy brewing over the weekend involving the fertility drug and the National Football League (NFL).
Robert Mathis, a linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts, was suspended for four games (without pay) because he tested positive for Clomid. Clomid is the on NFL’s list of banned, performance-enhacing-drugs because steroid users often take it to restore their natural testosterone levels or mask steroid use.
Mathis admits to taking Clomid for 10-12 days, but insists it was for fertility reasons. His wife is currently pregnant, so that seems to lend credibility to his story. He says he asked his urologist (who has confirmed the drug was for fertility) if it was on the list of banned substances and his doctor said no. However, he also admits he didn’t double check with the NFL and has issued apologies to his team and fans.
Now, if Mathis’ story is true, I feel terribly sorry for him. No one, especially a professional male athlete, wants to “come out” about their fertility issues in such an involuntary and public way. It appears he is a stand-up guy and has never had any other problems, so I’m inclined to believe him. He made a mistake in not double-checking with the NFL, but the punishment seems very harsh (he stands to lose about $700,000 in pay). Regardless of whether or not Mathis’ claims are true, this story is important because it creates an opportunity to educate the public about male infertility.
What bothers me the most are all the comments I’ve been reading on news articles and sports forums. The ignorance about fertility (especially male fertility) is astounding! Here are some of the most maddening comments I’ve read:
“He’s already fathered a set of twins, so he clearly doesn’t have fertility issues.”
Whoever posted this obviously didn’t consider the possibility that he might have used fertility treatment to conceive the twins, too. And they definitely don’t know about secondary infertility!
“Clomid is only FDA approved for women with ovulation issues. Men don’t take it and it’s illegal if their doctor prescribes it.”
I do believe it’s true that Clomid is only FDA approved for use in women, but it’s not illegal to prescribe medication for off-label uses. Many women are prescribed Femara (which is FDA-approved for breast cancer!) for infertility.
“He’s a large, well-muscled professional athlete. There’s no way he has testosterone or fertility problems.”
While it is true that many men with low testosterone have smaller physiques, sometimes their appearance gives no indication that there are fertility issues. My husband has a muscled build and he suffers from male factor issues.
“If the drug really is for fertility issues, then his wife should’ve taken it instead of him.”
This one is the most laughable because what good would it do his wife if the problem was male factor?
Any thoughts on this? Please share in the comments below.
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This is interesting. I’m a football fan (NCAA), but not a NFL fan so I had not seen this. What is crazy to me is to people’s ignorance (there are lots of things I know little about) but rather their bold and cruel statements regarding something they are ignorant about. Thanks for sharing this.
I am pretty much speechless here because there is so much I could say ya know? That probably doesn’t make sense haha. I just don’t even know where to start with this one! I guess it’s a real reminder that people who haven’t struggled with infertility have no clue what so ever. I believe (not positive) it is true that clomid isn’t approved by the FDA for males only women but that doesn’t mean a Dr. can’t prescribe it to them. I think it means the insurance won’t cover it at the pharmacy because it’s meant for women because of that. My husband took it a while back for a couple of months so obviously it happens for legitimate reasons.
Hi from ICLW. Just one of the many reasons why I refuse to listen to much on the news.
As someone who struggles with both male and female factor infertility, I totally related to his story and I feel like the NFL is being a little too harsh on him. My husband was on Clomid for several months and is now taking Arimidex (it does basically the same thing, except less hot flashes). It is so frustrating the level of ignorance about male infertility! I applaud Robert Mathis for being so open and honest about this and starting a conversation that will *hopefully* result in greater awareness of infertility in general.
Ignorant commenters acting as experts make me so angry. The internet does bring out the best and worst in people. I had no idea men could take Clomid for infertility. I’ve learned something new!
Thank you for your post… my name is Brandi. I am Roberts wife and yes, our twins were conceived with fertility treatment as well. Our fertility story is a lot deeper than the NFL has exposed. Unfortunately, they exposed the information that makes their suspension seem reasonable. The one mistake that was made was not confirming with the NFL. However, fertility is a private issue that my husband and I intended on keeping to ourselves, not sharing with the world. It’s disturbing as to how insensitive the NFL has been given that they were given all of my medical records along with my husbands to prove that this was medically necessary for us to conceive. We thank those who have been supportive during this time. I am currently expecting our daughter late this summer and focused on our growing family.
Brandi, thanks for taking the time to comment on my post. I can only imagine what a tough time this must be for you and your family. You should be celebrating instead of defending yourself. Everyone makes mistakes and I feel your husband is being punished too severely for failing to confirm with the NFL. Congratulations on your new daughter and we all wish you a healthy and safe delivery.
I totally agree with you, the NFL could have handled it a lot better and given this poor man and his wife some privacy rather than put their private personal issues out there. I wish the best of luck to them, and hopefully the powers-that-be will regain some decency and issue an apology to the family. Great post.