Andropause is the inability of the testicles to produce testosterone, sperm, or both.
We all talk about menopause, a vital stage that women go through, but what about andropause? This concept, also called male hypogonadism, is about the inability of the testicles to produce testosterone, sperm, or both.
According to the Mayo Clinic, hypogonadism can begin during fetal development, before puberty, or during adulthood. Signs and symptoms depend on when the condition appears.
Hypogonadism can begin during fetal development, before puberty, or during adulthood
In this sense, during puberty, you can experience excessive growth of the arms and legs in relation to the trunk of the body, and the development of breast tissue.
In adulthood, as the Mayo Clinic points out, men may experience: decreased sexual desire, decreased energy, depression, erectile dysfunction, sterility, decreased hair growth on the face and body, decreased muscle mass, loss of bone mass, and development of breast tissue.
”Male hypogonadism means that the testicles do not produce enough of the male sex hormone testosterone. There are two basic types of hypogonadism: primary and secondary,” they explain at the Mayo Clinic.
The primary, also known as primary testicular insufficiency, originates from a problem in the testicles. Secondary indicates a problem with the hypothalamus or pituitary gland, parts of the brain that send signals to the testicles to produce testosterone.
