Can Viagra increase the chances of conception? Only by making sex possible. Viagra does not make a man more fertile, and no label claims it improves the chance of pregnancy. What it can do is treat erection problems that get in the way of trying for a baby, and international sexual-medicine experts count ED tablets among treatments that "do not impair fertility outcomes". Only a trace reaches the semen; the woman should not take it.
Does Viagra make a man more fertile?
No. Sildenafil, the medicine in Viagra, is approved to treat erectile dysfunction, and its European label reports no effect on sperm motility or shape after a 100 mg dose in healthy men (EMA — Viagra product information). In men with fertility problems, a 2017 meta-analysis found that tablets of its class "could modestly increase the sperm motility and morphology" — but it measured sperm, not pregnancies (Tan et al., Urology 2017). The sperm studies are set out in does sildenafil affect sperm quality and fertility?
Why do erection problems turn up when you are trying for a baby?
Stress is one reason. Fertility problems "can be a source of considerable stress for both partners" (Healthy Male), and experts note that sexual problems "can both contribute to and result from infertility" (ICSM 2024 recommendations, Sex Med Rev 2026). In one small study without a comparison group, sexual problems were common in men going through infertility tests, and 50 mg of sildenafil before a semen sample for insemination, or before planned sex, reversed what the authors called "stress-induced transitory impotence" (Jannini et al., Fertil Steril 2004). In another, 356 men whose partners needed IVF had far lower erectile function scores, and used ED tablets far more often, than 378 men whose partners conceived without treatment (Lauterbach et al., J Urol 2021).
When should you have sex to conceive, and how does Viagra's timing fit?
The fertile window is "the day an egg is released from the ovary (ovulation) and the five days beforehand", sperm live for around five days, and if ovulation is hard to pin down, "having sex every 2-3 days covers all bases" (Your Fertility). Sildenafil is taken about an hour before sex (Viagra CMI) and its effects last up to 4 hours (healthdirect). Tadalafil, the medicine in Cialis, works for up to 36 hours (Cialis CMI), but on months of daily use "a decrease in sperm concentration was seen in some men" (EMA — Cialis product information).
Can Viagra affect the pregnancy or the baby?
For the man taking it, the label records no such risk: less than 0.0002% of a 100 mg dose was found in the ejaculate 90 minutes later, and reproduction studies in rats and rabbits found no relevant adverse effects (EMA — Viagra product information). The woman is a different matter: "VIAGRA is not for use in women" (Viagra CMI), and there are no adequate, well-controlled studies of sildenafil in pregnant women (EMA). Women's questions about ED medicines are answered in our guide for women.
What if ejaculation, not the erection, is the problem?
That can stand in the way too. "It may be difficult for your partner to fall pregnant if ejaculation does not happen inside the vagina" (healthdirect — premature ejaculation), and delayed ejaculation "might make it more difficult to conceive a baby" (healthdirect — delayed ejaculation). Viagra does not delay ejaculation (RACGP); when early ejaculation comes with erection problems, the erection is usually treated first — see treating premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction together. The same question for tadalafil is in can Cialis affect ejaculation?
Which medicines matter more when you are trying to conceive?
Testosterone, above all. Testosterone therapy and anabolic steroid misuse reduce sperm production (Healthy Male), and men with low testosterone who want children "should avoid exogenous testosterone". The same experts warn that antidepressants used for premature ejaculation "may adversely affect sperm parameters", while ED tablets and injections "do not impair fertility outcomes" (ICSM 2024). Testosterone with an ED medicine is covered in can testosterone and Cialis be taken together?
When should a couple see a doctor?
After 12 months of trying if you are under 35, after 6 months if you are over 35, and straight away if you think there may be a fertility problem. About 1 in 6 Australian couples trying for a baby are affected by infertility, and about 1 in 3 infertility problems come from the man (healthdirect — infertility). Both partners should be checked from the start, and erection or ejaculation problems can themselves be causes of male infertility (Healthy Male). ED medicines need a prescription in Australia (healthdirect), so the same GP can look at both.
The short answer
Viagra does not make a man more fertile or raise the chance of pregnancy by itself. It can make sex possible when erection problems, which trying for a baby can bring on, get in the way, and experts count it among ED treatments that do not impair fertility. A trace reaches the semen; women should not take it. More on how sildenafil works is in our guide to how well Viagra works and how long it lasts.
