Low Testosterone: 5 Myths That Keep Men From Getting the Care They Need

Low Testosterone Male Hypogonadism UNC Mens Health Program

Even men with low or borderline T levels may have sufficient T levels for sperm production, but it may contribute to lower counts or less healthy sperm. Certain health conditions, medicines, or injury can lead to low testosterone (low-T). Low testosterone can affect sex drive, mood, and changes in muscle and fat. Low testosterone (male hypogonadism) is a condition in which your testicles don’t produce enough testosterone (the male excel hormone test kit sex hormone).

Access your health information from any device with MyHealth. You can message your clinic, view lab results, schedule an appointment, and pay your bill. Before starting TRT, patients should know they will have to do it for the rest of their lives. When you take testosterone supplements, the amount of testosterone your body makes on its own goes down. Testosterone helps make bone tissue and keep the volume of bones.

If you have low blood levels of testosterone AND symptoms that affect your daily life, your doctor may suggest taking supplemental testosterone. You may want to see a specialist to discuss the risks and possible benefits of treatment. Look for a urologist or an endocrinologist, a doctor who treats hormone problems. You may think osteoporosis, or brittle bone disease, is a woman’s disease, but it can affect men as well. As testosterone levels fall, the bones may get thinner, weaker, and more likely to break. Studies show that low testosterone levels in males have an association with type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes.

These tests administered and interpreted by a urologist, can help reveal whether any underlying conditions, health issues or lifestyle choices are affecting testosterone production and whether treatment is needed. Chemotherapy or radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer can interfere with testosterone and sperm production. The effects of both treatments often are temporary, but permanent infertility may occur.

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA’s Web site () contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices. You may feel like you don’t have as much energy as usual despite having plenty of sleep.

In addition to issues relating to the reliability of compounded products themselves, appropriate clinical studies on pharmacokinetics are lacking. There are limited data in men on active surveillance who are candidates for testosterone therapy. Establishing total testosterone thresholds for a diagnosis of testosterone deficiency is challenging considering the heterogeneity that exists in the testosterone deficiency literature. The most accurate testosterone measurements are obtained in the early morning and on more than one occasion, which is not uniform across testosterone trials. Low testosterone, a form of hypogonadism, occurs when the body fails to produce an adequate supply of this hormone. This condition is more prevalent as men age, occurring in about 20 percent of men age 60 and older and increasing to as much as 50 percent in men age 80 and older.

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Without enough sperm, they may not be able to father a child. A doctor will typically only prescribe TRT if the person has several symptoms of low testosterone and blood test results that indicate a deficiency. For example, a bone density test can show diminished bone mass, one result of low testosterone. Females may also experience specific low testosterone symptoms, such as the following.